Aerial photo taken on Oct. 28, 2020 shows a paved road leading to Hejiayuan Village of Xihaigu in northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region. (Xinhua/Wang Peng)
YINCHUAN, June 27 (Xinhua) -- In the popular drama series "Shanhaiqing" (or "Minning Town"), a teacher surnamed Bai has deeply impressed the audience with his personal sacrifice to give poor kids a chance at education.
The story took place in the late 1990s when Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region in northwest China started to experience fundamental economic and social development in its poor rural areas, with the help of the eastern province of Fujian.
The drama series' English title was named after Minning Town, a brand new town outside Yinchuan, capital of Ningxia, a model town for pairing-up assistance between Fujian and Ningxia.
Almost simultaneously, a volunteer teachers' team from Shanghai went to teach rural kids in Xiji County in the Xihaigu region, which was long deemed "uninhabitable" until recent years.
Over the years, about 50 volunteers have been sent to the Wang Min Middle School, located at 2,000 meters above sea level and 30 km from the county seat, each serving a one-year term. The current three-person team teaches subjects including Chinese, English, and music.
"The most important thing I got from this teaching experience is that I have become a true friend of my students," said Xu Jing, 23, head of the team from Fudan University.
A beautiful girl with a breezy character from Sichuan Province in southwestern China, Xu has shed tears of both frustration and happiness in her interaction with ninth graders.
"At first, it was difficult to persuade a group of naughty boys to understand the importance and meaning of learning," she said.
Growing up in a family of teachers, Xu understands how important education is for making the life of these kids different from that of their parents.
Through close observation and contact with the students, Xu developed a sophisticated way of communicating and is aware they don't just need knowledge from the books but inspiration and personal advice.
"Last year, two girls close to me visited Shanghai for the first time. I accompanied them to the Bund and had tea with them. They said next time they would not be visitors here but enrolled students," she said.
Xu said, with the self-determination of changing their fate through education, the kids can change their minds and make a difference. "When I visit their parents, all of them say they want their kids to be better educated and live a better life than themselves," she said.
Shi Xin'an, another volunteer, said he wishes that more of his students could pass the entrance exam for senior middle schools. Shi, 23, is a graduate majoring in classic Chinese and a Shanghai native.
"All I care about is their improvement in their study and that they get good results in entrance exams," he said.
Shi said teaching in a place 2,000 km from home is a demanding job. "I call my parents once a week to let them know I enjoy my work here," he said, claiming he wants to be a history teacher in high school for his career.
"No matter how hard it is, I will never give up my effort to teach the students how to master good Chinese, as I find some good talents who deserve the effort."
One thing he feels is interesting about Ningxia is that the place is rich in historical events dating back over 2,000 years, which could be a treasure for his future job.
Volunteer Lin Botao, a 23-year-old MBA graduate and the son of a Fujian father and a Ningxia mother, said teacher Bai in Minning Town became his hero when he watched the TV series two years ago.
Lin, who likes organizing music and sports events, said he wants to follow Bai's steps, although his ultimate dream is to become a successful businessman.
According to the TV series, Bai lost his wife in an accident and raised his daughter alone when he taught in a semi-desert village of Ningxia. Among his students was a young model government official in poverty alleviation work.
"Education is a two-way channel. I'm both a teacher and a student here. I have learned a lot from the kids and local teachers. I also saw firsthand what the government has done to lift local farmers from poverty," said Lin. ■