The village with a population of 1,340 where locals used to plant potatoes and keep livestock for a living was once the only impoverished village in the town. [Photo provided to China Daily]

Zeng says they actively collect information about villagers' needs and invite professionals such as government officials, scholars, doctors, schoolteachers and also their fellow countrymen who have an expertise to give a lecture or demonstration.

For example, they have taught women bamboo weaving crafts and traditional Yi embroidery, and are trying to raise the locals' awareness of flood and forest fire in response to recent rainy season and the earlier fire disasters in spring.

As about 70 percent of the locals cannot read, and many ethnic people don't speak Mandarin, the village is also trying to put the lessons bilingually and teach the villagers some simple phrases of the language.