Pan Lianfeng and her granddaughter Xuanxuan. [Photo by Huo Yan/China Daily]

65-year-old Pan Lianfeng has two sons and both of them work in cities away from home. Pan and her daughter-in-laws work as performers in a local troupe. As for her granddaughter Xuanxuan, Pan said she has already started growing her hair, but whether the child could keep it up is all up to her.

"Girls these days don't like to wash their hair with water used to clean glutinous rice. They don't like that particular smell", said the grandmother.