After becoming a successful businessman, Chen Liangwei, who was once a left-behind child, returned to his hometown of Qidong county, Hunan province, and established a boarding school to help others.

Born into a family of farmers, Chen was raised by his grandfather because his parents had to leave home to work in cities. As he grew, Chen also went to study and work in the city.

"But every time I came back to my hometown and saw the left-behind children crying over the separation with their parents, I felt very sad," he said. "These scenes remind me of my childhood."

In 2016, Chen, a successful entrepreneur, set up the Qihang School. It currently has 1,565 students, with 1,361 of them left-behind. Like Chen in his childhood, many of the students have introverted personalities and feel inferior to others.

"I remember that I didn't have any hobbies when I was young, and couldn't even tell the difference between a football and a basketball when I first entered college," Chen said. "These children are just like the younger me."