GUIYANG, April 23 (Xinhua) -- While natural beauty galore adorns Xiayangdong and Shangyangdong villages in southwest China's Guizhou Province, the regions are marred by a scarcity of books.

However, the light of knowledge is soon to shine there as a samaritan named Chen Xi has decided to build a two-story library to ensure that the villages embrace enlightenment and hope.

Born in Beijing, Chen attended college in the United States and worked there for some time. It was in 2019 when a visit to the villages left her fascinated.

The landscape, hospitality of the people and the rich ethnic culture enchanted her. But, at the same time, she was appalled by the lack of books there.

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

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

"Our next focuses are the interior decorations, desks and chairs, and we plan to purchase 600 books," Chen said.

She expects to complete the construction by late May and hopes that once open it will allow children to gain knowledge of the outside world through reading. This will in turn help them spread their stories and culture among more people, Chen noted.

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

The area has maintained China's traditional farming culture, with villagers raising more than 1,000 cattle for agriculture. The ethnic culture of the region is quite diverse, with locals staging singing and dance performances in fancy clothes during holidays. Unique wooden buildings built by villagers also form a part of the region's traditional craft.

Chen said that she always believes in maintaining cultural diversity, but in the age of informatization, 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 said.

After visiting the mountainous areas, she found that many remote villages did not have books, and it was extremely hard for rural children to form the habit of reading in such a state.

"I grew up in an environment where books were easily accessible, just like a glass of water readily available," she said. "But for many rural children, the situation is different. Even though some village schools have libraries, the books available may not necessarily meet the needs of children and could barely draw their interests."

Yang Zhengxi, 49, a resident of Xiayangdong Village, said that his village has a "poor education foundation," and that most villagers lack education.

"For instance, many parents in the village only received education up to primary or middle schools," Yang said. "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."

"I wanted some books outside of the regular classroom curriculum, but my parents never bought any for me," said Yang Shuting, a student at the local Yangdong Primary School.

Chen noted that 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 a library there.

After initial evaluations, Chen found that the project would cost approximately 65,000 yuan (10,000 U.S. dollars). Starting from December last year, Chen purchased, processed and sold the unique purple rice grown in the vicinity. Within just three months, she not only helped the villagers earn money but also raised funds for building the library.

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

"It is not that hard to build a library, but it is certainly difficult to manage it," Chen said. "I will try my best to run it well and give a special gift to the villagers and children here." Enditem

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