On the right track（4）

On the right track A view of Qiandaohu Station. [Photo provided to China Daily]

And people of my generation, who were born in the 1990s, have been witnessing the modernization of this charming yet slightly remote town since our childhoods.

We experienced the sensation when our town opened its first supermarket, and later the first KFC, Pizza Hut, and in more recent years, two Starbucks outlets. Domestic and international hotel chain brands including Hilton and the InterContinental set up branches there too.

We saw a growing number of people, mainly migrants from the countryside, flood into the town while another group of people, the younger ones, leave home to study or find work elsewhere-destined, no doubt, to one day become guests in their own family.

The town has grown over the years from a place that people could easily reach their destination on foot and greet their acquaintances along the way, to what is now a town "rolling on wheels" and frequently prone to traffic jams.

Like the main hospital, many of the government bodies and public institutions, shuttle bus stations, schools and even the county library have been moved to new suburban areas. People need a car to reach them or when they want to take a trip out of town to enjoy the lake views.

My hometown has certainly embraced change and advanced quickly because of this.

While I enjoy the convenience that technological and economic development has brought us, I sometimes scorn certain artificial additions to that don't really fit the character of the town. And I still miss the early days when people used to stick together and lead a life closer to untouched nature-and the smell of the fields filled the air.