A 91-year-old war veteran was reunited with his family on Thursday in Yibin, Sichuan province, following a 70-year separation that began when he left home to join the army.

Yan Ji'an was a soldier in the Chinese Expeditionary Force that joined British and US troops in resisting Japanese military advances into Yunnan province from 1942 to 1945.

Upon his return from Myanmar in 1942, Yan Ji'an decided to settle down in Mangshi, Yunnan province, where he got married and started a family.

He is now a grandfather as well as a father of four. While his life has been full, he has longed to return to his roots.

His wish was made possible when he received 12,000 yuan ($1,818) in private donations from an online campaign set up to help veterans who served in World War II.

(Chuncheng Evening News)