Liang Zuying poses for a photo in Wuying Village of Rongshui Miao Autonomous County, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, April 25, 2023.

Liang Zuying, 48, hails from Wuying Village, a Miao ethnic-minority hamlet that is hidden deep in the towering mountains straddling Guangxi and Guizhou.

In the past, the impassable mountains and rugged landscape rendered locals extremely poor. Due to their traditional views and poor family conditions, many parents did not send their daughters to school. Liang and many other women in the village received little education and could neither read nor speak Mandarin, a major impediment that isolated them from the outside world.

From March 2020, local authorities initiated a training program in Wuying Village to teach ethnic women Mandarin, in a bid to remove language barriers between them and people beyond the village, while improving their communication and vocational skills. So far, more than 1,000 Mandarin training sessions have been held in Wuying Village.

"Learning Mandarin helps us promote intangible cultural heritages and develop rural industries," said Liang. "Now we feel more connected to the outside world." [Xinhua/Huang Xiaobang]

Liang Zuying (R) and her mother pack tea leaves in Wuying Village of Rongshui Miao Autonomous County, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, Oct. 14, 2022.

Liang Zuying, 48, hails from Wuying Village, a Miao ethnic-minority hamlet that is hidden deep in the towering mountains straddling Guangxi and Guizhou. [Xinhua/Huang Xiaobang]