Students participate in the "Sanxiaxiang Program" in Guizhou to explore how rural revitalization efforts have transformed the area.

During high school, when Zhang Yuehui first arrived in Ziyun, a Miao-Bouyei autonomous county in Southwest China's Guizhou province, he encountered a region struggling with poverty. The roads from the county seat to neighboring villages were muddy and rough due to a lack of infrastructure.

Now, as a 20-year-old student at the Southwestern University of Finance and Economics in Chengdu, Sichuan province, Zhang was pleasantly surprised by the remarkable changes that had taken place in the area.

In 2020, Ziyun, one of the last counties to eliminate poverty, reached a significant milestone in China's battle against poverty.

But how can these achievements be sustained and expanded? In July, Zhang and his classmates found an answer by visiting the county.

Their exploration was part of the "Sanxiaxiang Program", a series of social engagement initiatives encouraging college students to bring cultural, scientific, technological, and hygiene knowledge to rural communities.

"It allows us to step out of our schools and into rural areas to see firsthand how China's rural revitalization efforts are making a difference," Zhang said.

He leads a team of 10 students, with four focusing on online tasks such as video editing and data analysis. The remaining six, including him, traveled to Ziyun. Through field visits and interviews, they explored the region's economic development model and grassroots self-governance system.

In an interview with Ziyun's agriculture and rural affairs bureau, 20-year-old Jin Yuxin learned that agricultural production contributes to more than 60 percent of the county's GDP.

She discovered that Ziyun had leveraged its unique geographical advantages to develop an innovative agricultural approach: in the fertile northern areas, farmers are encouraged to grow sweet potatoes, tea, and blueberries, while in the southern regions, they are guided toward livestock farming.

Local farmers in Ziyun also process crops into products such as sweet potato noodles and blueberry jam or juice. "This not only boosts the value of agricultural products but also creates more job opportunities for local residents," Jin said.

Lyu Junfeng, a 20-year-old data analyst for the online team, was tasked with creating a word cloud to track the progress of local industries. Although he didn't participate in field visits, he used Python, a computer programming language, to analyze data collected by his team, along with information from Ziyun's official website and news reports.

His analysis revealed that "intensification" emerged as one of the key terms frequently associated with the local industry's development.

"This is closely tied to a business model based on sharing profits and risks that has been set up locally," he explained.

Jin, who observed the model in action, explained that the county has established a direct link between farmers and businesses through agricultural cooperatives, cutting out middlemen and ensuring farmers receive a larger share of the profits. The model also brings together small-scale farmers into modern, productive industries with the support of major corporations.

"These companies help farmers adopt mechanized farming methods and provide technical training," Jin said.

In addition to the word cloud, Lyu also created a funnel chart through data analysis, showing that tea played a pivotal role in Ziyun's economy in 2023, making it the top contributor among all local products.

Lian Xin, a 20-year-old participant in the field visits, pointed out that the tea processing facilities in Ziyun are notably advanced in terms of mechanization, setting them apart from typical rural processing workshops.

She observed that the entire tea production process, from picking the leaves to the final product, can be efficiently completed within the tea gardens. "The tea factories use machines for sterilizing, rolling, and flavoring, significantly improving efficiency," she said.

The students also visited the local rural commercial bank, where Zhang learned that around a quarter of the county's residents work outside their hometown, making it difficult for them to access financial services like loans in other areas.

To address this issue, the bank offers customized financial solutions. One innovative approach involves a financial services team traveling to key locations where migrant workers from Ziyun are based across various provinces and cities. They provide loans and financial aid, conduct in-person sessions to promote financial literacy, and assist with using online platforms for financial services.

"I believe this approach can be introduced in other regions with a large number of migrant workers," said Zhang.

With economic development providing basic security for farmers, there has been a noticeable improvement in local culture and quality of life.

During a trip to a village in Ziyun, 20-year-old Jiang Youjie came across a unique reading space. Originally an abandoned cow shed, it had been cleaned and creatively transformed into a library filled with books. "This new reading area not only repurposes unused resources but also ignites the locals' passion for education," he said.

Han Zhihao, 21, was impressed by the grassroots self-governance system in the village. He observed that villagers are encouraged to collectively establish rules for governance and are motivated to adopt healthy living habits through a specialized civic assessment process.

Behaviors like keeping the environment clean, assisting elders, and helping neighbors are evaluated on a 100-point scale. These points can then be exchanged for tangible rewards such as washing machines, televisions, and electric fans.

"In the village, everyone is seen as a leader, so personal and public interests naturally work together," said Han.

The team integrated their observations and suggestions into two research reports, applying academic theories to real-world contexts. They have also shared the reports with the local government.

Despite growing up in an urban area in Guizhou, Zhang has always been fascinated by the region's rural revitalization efforts.

"I used to think about working in big cities like Beijing or Shanghai after graduating," he said. "Now, I really want to return to Guizhou and apply what I've learned to contribute to my hometown."