Inventing things is not the exclusive domain of scientists, as 78-year-old retiree An Shuya recently proved.

In mid-August, An finally got his patent certificate for a "flying car", which means his efforts over more than a decade had finally paid off.

An was a senior engineer and expert in mechanical manufacturing living in Xi'an, Shaanxi province. Since retirement, he lived an ordinary life with his wife, Li Junlan.

But over a decade ago, An was determined to do something to address the traffic jam of the city, because of a complaint from his wife.

"My wife complained of frequent traffic jams on the road, and asked me to do something to deal with it," said An.

He decided to make a difference.