As the saying goes, "as a man sows, so he shall reap."

However, the fruit of labor by Yu Yunle, who jokingly describes himself as a "farmer in the city", is shared by hundreds of thousands of people.

Born in 1985 in Zhangjiakou, Hebei province, Yu now is a landscape designer based in Beijing. His obsession with horticulture sprouted at a very young age when he began growing various plants at home. After graduating from high school, Yu decided to turn that hobby into career. He studied landscape design at university and later got a master's degree in landscape planning.

When dream meets reality

Back in school, Yu dreamed of working in a comfortable office with flexible working time and respect from the public. However, like many others, his impression of what it means to be a landscape designer proved to be unrealistic.

In 2011, employed by Beijing Green Garden Group Co Ltd, Yu came to work in Beijing as a landscape designer. The first project he took part in was the Beijing Garden Expo Park. Together with his colleagues, Yu lived in a shabby and crowded bungalow near the construction site for six months. With no heating, the dormitory was freezing in winter. With no running water, Yu and coworkers shaved their heads to save the trouble of washing it.

"Back then it was common for us to begin working at dawn and go back to the dormitory at 8 or 9 pm," Yu recalled. "It was really tough."

But the suffering soon eased as he witnessed the 513-hectare space, which used to be full of garbage, gradually turn into a beautiful garden in two years. Now it has become the most popular theme park in western Beijing, and the ideal place for various events and activities.