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In 1996, Tan Lai Yong and his family left their comfortable Singaporean lifestyles to work with the poor in rural areas in the province of Yunnan, China. There, he joined a community development team, working in remote villages to care for orphans, disabled children and for those affected by leprosy. During his 14 years in China, Lai Yong established a medical program in rural Yunnan with the aim of providing basic doctoring and midwifery training to practising barefoot doctors. Lai Yong also participated in village water and sanitation projects, arranging for the plantation of thousands of pine, leguminous and walnut trees in villages facing deforestation.

He was given the Friendship Award for Foreign Experts by the Chinese Premier Wen Jia Bao and was voted by the people of Yunnan to be 'A Good Citizen of Kunming.' Lai Yong has also written a book, Biting the Bamboo, which reflects his experiences in China. He currently holds a lecturing post on topics such as Hidden Communities at the National University of Singapore.