Chongqing, China (CNN) -- Zhou Xunshu and Yan Qi both grew up in the mountains in southwestern China, but today their hometowns are worlds apart.
Zhou's home village in a remote corner of Guizhou province remains impoverished.
"Every time I go back, I feel saddened," said the 37-year-old professional golfer. "It was poor and it's getting poorer".
Yan's childhood town, on the other hand, is now a suburb of one of the world's fastest-growing cities, Chongqing.
"I started a small restaurant here in 1995 with five tables," the 43-year-old businesswoman told CNN. "We went from there to 10 tables and eventually to 90 restaurants nationwide".
"My restaurants expanded along with the city," she said.
Chongqing has expanded at a remarkable pace since 1997, when Chinese leaders awarded it special political status on par with Beijing and Shanghai. A metropolis the size of Austria, Chongqing is now home to 32 million people -- four times the entire Austrian population.
CNN
