Wang Yuming, a 72-year-old man from Huixian county in Northwest China's Gansu province, moved many people recently, as he has been posting thousands of search notices for a year and a half to look for his missing wife, Xinhua News Agency reported on Thursday.

His wife Yan Baoxia was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease three years ago. Since their two sons both got married and settled down out of the county, Wang had been taking care of his wife until she got lost unexpectedly early last year.

According to Wang Yuming, on the night of Jan 25, 2018, his wife went out to find him as she didn't see him in their house when Wang was washing his feet in the bathroom. "I wish I would've called out to her then," Wang said.

The next morning, Wang reported his wife as missing to local police who launched a widespread search immediately, but no trace of her has been found. Then Wang made a decision to look for his wife on foot.

Every time he went out from home, he would bring about 200 copies of a paper notice, 20 bottles of glue, a piece of quilt and some steamed buns, walking from dawn till dark. At night, he would spread a plastic cloth on the ground and put the quilt on it.

"I called my father on the phone all the time, and every time when I asked where he stayed, he said he was sleeping on the road," said Wang Junfeng, Wang Yuming's eldest son.

"He just wanted to see if he could find my mother among the homeless," Wang Junfeng said.