Remote Guizhou villages to get new library

While natural beauty adorns Xiayangdong and Shangyangdong villages in Southwest China's Guizhou province, the area has a scarcity of books.

But that is set to change as Chen Xi has decided to build a two-story library to ensure the villages embrace the light of knowledge.

Born in Beijing, Chen attended college in the United States and worked there for some time.

A visit to the villages in 2019 left her fascinated with the landscape, hospitality of the people and the rich ethnic culture. At the same time, she was appalled by the lack of books.

"I learned that locals lacked books and children did not have enough reading materials to improve their knowledge," Chen says.

This prompted her to help build a library and she swung into action. The main structure, covering 130 square meters, has been completed. The library will sit in the cross-section of the two villages, close to a local primary school.

"Our next focus is on interior decoration, desks and chairs. We plan to purchase 600 books," Chen adds.

She expects the construction to be completed by late May. The library will help children to gain knowledge of the outside world through reading and also help them spread their stories and culture among more people, Chen says.

Another village named Cengeng is located near Xiayangdong and Shangyangdong. Together the three villages form a residential community with 1,397 families, most of whom are from the Dong and Miao ethnic groups.

The area has maintained the country's traditional farming culture, with villagers raising more than 1,000 cattle.

The ethnic culture of the region is quite diverse, with locals staging song and dance performances in fancy clothing during holidays. Wooden buildings built by villagers also form a part of the region's traditional craft.

Chen says she believes in maintaining cultural diversity, but nowadays many ethnic cultures and traditions are disappearing from modern society.

"For example, the Dong people's singing and dancing traditions and their wooden buildings are facing challenges of inheritance," she says.

After visiting the mountainous area, Chen found that many remote villages did not have books, and it was hard for rural children to form a reading habit in such a state. Even though some village schools had some books, they didn't draw the children's attention.

Yang Zhengxi, a 49-year-old resident of Xiayangdong, says his village has poor education.

"For instance, many parents in the village only received education up to primary or middle schools. They usually ignore the importance of education and barely buy books for their children. The kids run around or fiddle with mobile phones after school."

Chen says a library can help children inculcate the habit of reading, broaden their horizons and enhance their abilities to talk about their culture, which is why she planned to build the library there.

After initial evaluation, Chen found that the project would cost approximately 65,000 yuan ($10,000). Starting in December, Chen purchased, processed and sold purple rice grown in the vicinity. Within three months, she not only had helped the villagers earn money but also raised funds for building the library.

In March, workers broke ground on the library, which is being transformed from a rural house Chen has rented. Currently, she is in talks with an architect about the interior design, while making plans to hire volunteers to manage the library.

"I will try my best to run it well and give a special gift to the villagers and the children," she says.