PUBLISHED ONSeptember 07, 2026 12:00 AMBYEsther LamAfter retiring as a taxi driver in 2015, 78-year-old Chen Jinhe (transliterated) has spent the past eight years voluntarily cleaning a carpark in Ang Mo Kio.
Chen, who worked as a taxi driver for 35 years, told Lianhe Zaobao that he "used to be out and about all day" and could not sit still at home after retiring.
A TikTok video shared by the Chinese newspaper on Sunday (Sept 6) shows Chen, dressed casually with a broom and dustpan in hand, going about his sweeping routine in a carpark near Block 533 Ang Mo Kio Avenue 5.
He reportedly started by helping to clean a senior citizens' club on the ground floor of an HDB block but slowly expanded his efforts to the nearby open-air carpark.
He now reportedly spends more than two hours a day sweeping up the fallen leaves.
"As long as my health allows, I'll keep sweeping. I'll sweep until I can't walk anymore, until I have no strength left," he said.
He told the Chinese newspaper that he couldn't bear to see the parking lot covered in fallen leaves and picked up a broom, saying that even if he didn't sweep, no one would care.
With no boss or salary, Chen said this arrangement gives him the freedom to manage his own time, allowing him to sweep whenever he wants and is convenient for him to fetch his grandchildren.
Chen buys and uses most of his own tools and takes cardboard boxes from various places to collect the fallen leaves. Sometimes, if residents discard old brooms that he finds are still usable, he'll pick them up and continue using them.
However, he's quite particular about his tools, saying: "The broom bristles can't be too long, so I have to trim them after purchase. The bristles also can't be too soft, otherwise they won't be easy to use."
"It gives me a great sense of satisfaction to see the ground clean and makes me very happy," he added.
He shared that when he was a taxi driver, he rarely exercised and had a belly, but since taking up his sweeping routine, he joked that "sweeping fallen leaves can even help with weight loss".
In 2021, Chen received a community award at the Long Service and Community Awards ceremony for his contributions to the community, according to Lianhe Zaobao.
He shared that his family had expressed concerns about his prolonged exposure to the sun, as his skin became increasingly tan, and warned him that long-term sun exposure might increase his risk of skin cancer.
However, he felt that sweeping allowed him to get both exercise and some sun.
"As long as my health allows, I will continue sweeping — until I can no longer walk or have any strength left," he added.
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