Len Billing and Elyn MacInnis made a video to greet friends in Fuzhou, Fujian province, in 2021. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

Len Billing had a video talk with the owner in July. Although he was not in good health and could not speak fluently, they exchanged greetings and good wishes.

He could still remember clearly the shops, the old church and a creek. The video talk helped him to return, figuratively, to Kuliang.