Paul and Dorothy Lacy attend the US Consulate's celebration of the 40th anniversary of the establishment of China-US diplomatic relations in Wuhan, Central China's Hubei province, on May 28, 2019. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

The couple has four children and two grandchildren who often receive the embroidered gifts at Christmas and on birthdays. Plus, they often invite their family and friends to Fenghuang, showing them around and taking them to sample local delicacies.

Unlike children in China, those in the US don't have an obligation to provide for their parents. So their children are happy that they've built a new career and strongly support them, they said. 

Yang Xiaoyu contributed to this story.