Liu Yukun has been running an English corner since 1991 and even today it remains hugely popular. [Photo by Huo Yan/China Daily]

Smartphones and tablet computers may have revolutionized language learning in the digital age, but many people still prefer the old-fashioned way of honing their communication skills - English corners.

In the southern city of Guilin, Liu Yukun has been running an English corner since 1991 and said even today it remains hugely popular.

Over the years, the weekly event has been participated in by an estimated 130,000 Chinese and more than 20,000 foreigners from 45 countries, with ages ranging from 5 to 90.

"Guilin, in the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, is famous for its picturesque landscapes, long history and rich culture, but few residents can communicate with foreigners in English," Liu said. "So tourists only see Guilin's beautiful views, they don't know about the rest.

"Founding the English corner was one of my tasks 24 years ago, but it's my heart that has told me to keep it going."

After retiring from his job a middle school teacher at the age of 60, Liu started work with Guilin Staff and Workers University in 1991 and was given the task of setting up the city's first English corner. He stopped working for the college full-time when he reached 70 but continued to organize the weekly language exchange with fellow retirees.

The venue for the corner has changed eight times over the 24 years, finally arriving at its current home Ronghu Lake Library, where it has been held for the past decade.

Today, many students from the 1990s take their children to study there every Sunday, such as Chen Gan, who goes with his son. "Liu is always the first person there," he said. "It is easy to do one day of volunteer work, but it's difficult to do it for 24 years."