He says some residents complained when a vegetable vender built a stand that obstructed pedestrians and tossed trash on the ground.

Yang talked to the vendor, who angrily relocated.

"I thought: Problem solved," he says.

"Then, residents complained it was inconvenient to buy vegetables and asked me to find another seller."

He was once beaten - and his life was threatened - by an angry resident, who wanted Yang to certify construction of a family hotel, which was illegal and beyond Yang's authority.

Yang's monthly salary is 2,800 yuan, which he says is the highest it has been in the field in Beijing.

"I felt exhausted and thought about quitting a few times," he recalls.

"But I dispelled the thoughts whenever I recalled the retired 70-year-old woman whom I succeeded. She worked wholeheartedly for more than 40 years and left with a smile."

The job reflects society's progress and problems.

One important responsibility is to distribute social security and welfare to low-income households, people with disabilities and the unemployed.

Wang says: "While it delights and comforts me that more people are benefiting from the government, it makes our job harder."

One of the challenges is the vagueness of the neighborhood committee's role.

"According to the law, our core mission should be supervision and coordination of civil affairs, but we often act more like law enforcement and property managers," Wang says.

One of his greatest headaches is the prevalence of the banned practice of group-renting. "It poses serious security and sanitation problems," Wang says.

"But we can't stop them from group-renting and don't know which government department is in charge of such matters."

Wang says his work would be impossible without enthusiastic volunteers, most of whom are retirees.

His greatest concern is the sunset of the age in which "a neighbor is better than a relative", he says.

"In the old days, neighborhoods were important social platforms, and neighbors helped and cared for one another. But people don't even know who lives next door, anymore. I'm worried: Will the youth still be willing to serve their neighborhoods when they come of age?"

Contact the writer at wangru@chinadaily.com.cn.