Zhang Xinlaifu (right) teaches children how to play erhu in Balizhuang, Yanqing county, Beijing. Photo: Courtesy of Zhang Xinlaifu

Bringing economic development to China's rural regions has long been a major task of local officials - now, however, two intrepid young people have taken it upon themselves to not only enrich the finances of the villages they oversee, but the personal lives of their residents.

Zheng Mingjie, 25, has been working as an official in Shangshuimo village in Beijing's Yanqing county, since graduating from Beijing Sport University in 2010.

Zheng, a 12-year disciple of kung fu, has been bestowed with the title of national professional athlete and made it her mission to promote the study of kung fu in the countryside.

When she arrived in the village in August 2010, however, her ambitions were immediately smashed by the cruel reality of village life.

"Life was always the same old routine for everyone," Zheng said. "Young people would head off to work, leaving the elderly to cook, clean and look after children. People's entertainment usually didn't extend beyond playing cards, watching TV or chatting."

Difficult start

In mid-October 2010, Zheng decided to make a change by hosting free classes in taijiquan, a type of kung fu.

"I thought I could help some of these elderly residents develop new hobbies and interests, and maintain their physical fitness at the same time," she said. "How disappointed I was when no one showed up!"

She kept at it though, opening a taijiquan class in the larger town center of Yanqing and gradually developing a larger and larger student body.

Eventually, she decided to head back to the village and give it another shot. In order to attract students, she relied on the best form of advertising she could: proven results.

"I introduced them to some of my students from the larger town," she said. "They did a few demos and impressed them with their new skills."

Then, relaunching her class in the countryside, she attracted a massive following, and currently there are more than 200 students - ranging from 5 to 72 - in Zheng's class.

"I had seen taijiquan on TV and was so glad to get this chance to learn from a professional," said Du Feng, a 60-year-old villager. "We never get the opportunity to pick up new skills like this."

Zheng has become a veritable celebrity in her village - residents have even gone so far as to call her a heroine.

"People say I'm brave and decisive in trying something new like this," she said. "I just want to do something that I love and help other people at the same time."

Launching careers

Twenty-six-year-old Zhang Xinlaifu, another village official in Yanqing, also felt compelled to impart his unique skills - in Zhang's case, for erhu, a traditional two-stringed instrument - to his villagers.

After graduating from Beijing Union University in 2010, Zhang attempted to parlay his post as a village official in Balizhuang into a stint teaching his favorite instrument to the residents he oversees.

Advertising his class via door-to-door interviews and word-of-mouth, the first batch of Zhang's apprentices appeared at a village meeting room on November 1, 2010.

"It was a small group - only five people - but at least it was something," Zhang said. "I must have done a pretty good job, too, because since then the class size has grown to as many as 40 people."

Zhang has since led his erhu group to further greatness, winning a contest hosted by the Yanqing County Women's Federation in April of last year.

"It can be difficult for old people in our situation to find meaningful pursuits after retirement," said 61-year-old Wang Fuyun, one of the winning erhu players. "In addition, bringing our children or grandchildren to participate is also a wonderful way to grow closer."

Liu Yanxin, a 12-year-old child from the countryside, said he's discovered a passion for erhu through Zhang's class, and intends to pursue the instrument as his career.

"Zhang is such a friendly and welcoming teacher, always cracking jokes and making us laugh," Liu said, adding that he is applying for admission to a performing-arts middle school.

Though it remains to be seen whether Zheng or Zhang will continue working in their villages past the end of their contracts in 2013, they both said they valued the opportunity to share their skills and help bring something greater than economic development to the countryside.

"It's so gratifying to think that even though I'll be leaving Balizhuang, erhu won't," Zhang said.