Rural Students' Activities Enriched in Historic Village

Students from the Xiaogang School, which includes nine grades, do hoop exercises during a break between classes on Sept 27. [China Daily/Zhu Lixin]

Xiaogang village in East China's Anhui province is known as the birthplace of China's rural reform.

In 1978, 18 farmers in Xiaogang secretly signed an agreement to subdivide their collective farmland into family plots. It was a pivotal moment in the country's reform and opening-up policies, which now have been in place for 40 years.

Over the past four decades, Xiaogang villagers have seen steady improvement in their lives. Examples include better infrastructure for local schools and more enriching activities for students.

A group of primary school students perform the Fengyang Flower-drum Dance during a break between classes on Sept 27. Popular in Fengyang county, which governs Xiaogang village, the dance has a history of more than 600 years. [China Daily/Zhu Lixin]

A group of primary school students perform the Fengyang Flower-drum Dance during a break between classes on Sept 27. Popular in Fengyang county, which governs Xiaogang village, the dance has a history of more than 600 years. [China Daily/Zhu Lixin]

(Source: China Daily)