Ding Aimin, one of the 100 million Chinese rural migrant workers, toiled in the coastal city of Zhongshan in Guangdong Province two years ago. But now he is a boss of a company with 2 million yuan (about 242,000 US dollars) of annual output value and 200,000 yuan (24,000 dollars) of annual net income.

Ding came back to his hometown, Liulin in southwestern Sichuan Province, in early 2003 to open a preserved food plant with the 100,000 yuan (12,000 dollars) he accumulated in Guangdong. The plant has grown into one of a few economic pillars of the small town.

Like Ding, many migrant works across the country are returning home to set up companies.

Encouraging rural migrant workers to return home to start their own businesses has become a focal experiment in exploring employment of rural workforce, and is being carried out in 26 provinces among the total 34,said China's Employment Situation and Policies published by the State Council, April 2004.

Quite a few rural migrant workers have had the aspiration of returning home to start businesses in recent years, while they went out to cities barely to struggle for their living during the 1980s and mid-1990s, said Prof. Gao Huanxi on the rural problem with Shangdong Agricultural Administrators College.

"This trend will significantly influence the rural economy if led and supported appropriately," Gao said.

The returning workers has been infusing fresh momentum to the rural economic development in many places.

More than 8,000 returnees have set up more than 10,000 businesses and offered 60,000 jobs in the city of Xianning, central China's Hubei Province in the past five years, according to local government.

In Dejiang county, southwestern Guizhou Province, where more than 5,000 returning workers have been helping restructure local industries by engaging in farming, raising livestock, transport services, building and trade.

Chinese people, especially farmers, traditionally see moving to a larger house as the ultimate sign of success, and many move as soon as they can afford to. As a result, empty houses have mushroomed in the countryside in the past decade.

But now a growing number of better-off migrant workers are changing their idle money into capital that can bring more benefits by starting their own businesses.

The returnees have bought 92 percent of the 182 companies in You county, central China's Hunan Province, in the government's effort to transform county-run companies into private ones.

Experts say the "countertide" is not accidental, while an annual 100 million migrant workers -- 7.6 percent of the nation's population -- roll into such big cities as Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou from the rural areas to make their living.

"The significant stride indicates that migrant workers have the ability to help develop and build their hometowns after accumulating money and skills and picking up the market concept in cities," said Jin Wen, director of Anhui Province Government Development Research Center.

Zhang Jiachuan, known for his "Chuanyu" tea, was one of the first batch of Chinese migrant workers. He intended to return home to make sofas after seeing them the first time when working in Guangdong in 1985.

"Working in the city made me accept the concept of the outside world," said Zhang.

The sense of identification with their hometowns, favorable investment policies and environment are the magnets for them, said Li Mingbo, mayor of Xianning.

Ding Aimin wanted to start his own business when he found that preserves sold well in Zhongshan. He Guangyun, mayor of Liulin phoned him several times, hoping he go back and promised to give him preferential treatment including charging the least for building workshops and providing more loans.

"The government saved me at least 5,000 yuan (about 600 US dollars)," Ding said.

Nowadays, an increasing number of local governments are placing emphasis on bringing migrant workers back home.

Chongqing Municipality build a special industry garden of two square kilometers for them, and leaders in Xianning go to Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou every year to invite them back.

Critics, however, say workers in some areas still face obstacles, such as lack of capital and unfavorable policies.

A survey by Anhui Academy of Social Sciences said that of the 100 returning migrant workers investigated inside Anhui Province in late 2004, only 44 started with their own money, and 75 lacked circulating funds.

In addition, only 35 had been given the preferential treatment promised by local governments, it said.

If not resolved, the difficulties may lead to the failure of these investors, said Li Wen'an, associate professor with Henan Province-based Nanyang Normal University.

"Some may unwillingly become farmers again, which will aggravate the farmland shortage, some may return to cities to work, and some might become vagrants," Li said. "What's worse, their negative emotion may spread other migrant workers who intend to start their own businesses in their hometowns."