XI'AN, Sept. 21 (Xinhua) -- In a repurposed kitchen lined with 16 electric cookers, each under its own hood, and 16 perfectly arranged sets of utensils and spice jars, people gather to prepare meals for loved ones fighting cancer in the hospital just across the street.

Amid what might seem a bleak setting, hope emerges in the comforting aromas of steamed rice, fish soup and an array of stir-fried dishes.

The Deshan Kitchen, situated near the Shaanxi Provincial Cancer Hospital in Xi'an, capital of Shaanxi Province, was founded by local entrepreneur Xu Kai. Four years since its inception, it has provided countless families battling cancer -- who cannot afford to rent an apartment during their extended stays in Xi'an -- with a place to prepare home-cooked meals.

The rush hour in the kitchen begins from lunchtime. Suo Anli, a woman from Ankang City in Shaanxi, entered the kitchen carrying a bag of vegetables. After filling out a registration form, she opened the refrigerator and took out a pack of meat to thaw. She flipped over the wok that was turned upside down on the stove and placed the cutting board flat.

She planned to cook three dishes for her and her husband: stir-fried shredded potatoes, stir-fried bok choy, and chicken thighs stewed with wax gourd. These simple yet nutritious dishes are favorites of her husband, who was diagnosed with tongue cancer in 2023 and has since undergone 25 rounds of chemotherapy and 32 sessions of radiation therapy.

"We've been married for 39 years, and we have a good relationship. He's been fighting cancer with a non-yielding spirit," Suo said as she chopped vegetables.

At the start of her husband's treatment, she rented a place to cook, spending 2,000 yuan (about 281.6 U.S. dollars) a month, but the expenses quickly became unsustainable. Eventually, she learned about Deshan Kitchen, which not only offered free cooking facilities but also provided essentials such as rice, flour and cooking oil. Now, Suo is a regular here.

Before anyone arrived, Xu Yajun, a middle-aged woman and the kitchen's steward, began steaming rice for the day. Soon, the comforting fragrance of freshly steamed rice drifted from the cooker, filling the air.

As Suo began to stir-fry, more family members of the patients arrived. "My child has been running a high fever and has very low hemoglobin. He needs nutritious meals, so I came to make some fish soup for him today," said a young mother, Guo Xu.

"The kitchen helps families save money, and every penny saved becomes a resource they can use to fight illness," said Xu Kai, 32, who started the kitchen after achieving business success. "Moreover, when people approach the end of their lives, some have no dreams or desires left; all they wish for is a meal prepared by their loved ones," he added.

There are about 10 such "anti-cancer" philanthropic kitchens across major cities with prestigious cancer clinics in China, according to Xu.

Even with health insurance, cancer treatment remains a heavy financial burden for families, as high out-of-pocket costs and the exclusion of certain new drugs and technologies from coverage take their toll. Logistics add further strain, with many patients forced to travel to distant cities to access better care.

Shaanxi Provincial Cancer Hospital and the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University nearby are visited by tens of thousands of patients, mostly coming from northwest China, on a daily basis.

Xu made a quick visit to check on things before rushing off to a neighboring province for a livestream e-commerce event. As the "backbone" of the kitchen, he emphasized the need to work hard to generate the funds necessary to keep the kitchen running.

The annual operating costs of the kitchen amount to approximately 500,000 yuan. Since May 2023, Xu has made the kitchen completely free for cancer patients' families, providing free rice, flour and cooking oil.

At the kitchen's entrance, a message board is covered with heartfelt notes from patients' families. One read, "My dad was diagnosed with kidney cancer in January, and we are searching for a place to cook him something delicious." Another expressed gratitude: "Many out-of-town patients in Xi'an truly needed this space for cooking, encouragement, and comfort." A third simply stated, "Those who give love receive love in return."

During the lunch break rush hour, a group of high school students arrived to volunteer. While waiting for Xu Yajun to assign them tasks, a volunteer said proudly that last time they stayed here for eight hours, cleaning the floor and the cooker hoods.

Having worked in the kitchen for two years, 57-year-old Xu Yajun has shared in both the sorrow of farewells and the joy of healing with many families. "When they want to talk, I'm always here to listen and help relieve their stress and ease their emotions," she said. "Sometimes, someone who used to come in to cook almost every day suddenly stops coming, and later I find out that the patient has passed away. "

As family members departed with their meals, the kitchen slowly settled back into order with woks turned upside down and cutting boards and utensils neatly aligned. Silence once again filled the space, waiting for the next gathering of hope and healing. ■