Back in Tongguan, meanwhile, Nufilo, a Shenzhen-based startup, has just donated 200 toy dolls to help its left-behind children.

The toys, when connected with the Internet, can tell stories to children and serve as a platform through which they can speak to parents who work far away.

Ma Qijian, an Internet researcher at Peking University, said ideas such as these can help "cut the distance between left-behind kids and their parents".

"It is impossible for one company to solve the problem alone."

Guangzhou-based Mofly Information Technology Co Ltd has done its part by developing a smart system for the village's new museum, which allows tourists to book services and hotels online.