Farmer Zhong Zhaowu leads a lonely life tilling the land as the only villager in Nankeng, Anyi county in East China's Jiangxi province on Nov 6, 2012. [Photo/Xinhua]

Farmer Zhong Zhaowu leads a lonely life in Nankeng, Anyi county in East China's Jiangxi province.

Since the 1970s, Zhong's fellow villagers began moving out of the rural area and he remains the last man standing in a village that once had a population of 130. His wife, who visits every couple of weeks, moved to an urban area to help their son care for his little daughter. Zhong takes care of their disabled daughter and at 63 years old remains the only permanent resident in the village.

The urbanization ratio in Jiangxi province has reached 47 percent and increases 1.6 percent each year, meaning between 700,000 to 800,000 rural residents move to urban areas each year. But like Zhong, some refuse to move due to their deep emotional attachment.

Zhong Zhaowu eats lunch at his home in Nankeng village, Anyi county in East China's Jiangxi province on Nov 6, 2012. [Photo/Xinhua]