Where service takes root

At altitudes above 4,000 meters in Dechen county, Yunnan province, blazing sunshine can quickly give way to fierce winds and heavy snow. For Li Chunlei, a multimedia journalist and video director at the county media center in Diqing Tibetan autonomous prefecture, such unpredictable conditions are a familiar part of his work.

One memorable assignment took him deep into the mountains with the "Red Horse Caravan Service Team", which delivers medicine and daily necessities to people collecting caterpillar fungus in remote areas.

With members of the Communist Party of China (CPC) forming its backbone, the team established a temporary Party branch at a site more than 4,000 meters above sea level. Using horses and carrying supplies on their backs, members transported 300 kilograms of goods along an 87-kilometer route that reached an altitude of 5,100 meters, serving 115 residents.

Li and a colleague followed the team on foot for seven days, filming members crossing valleys and climbing steep slopes. At night, they slept in wooden shelters or tents. The resulting documentary won first prize at the Yunnan Journalism Awards.

The challenging journey gave Li a deeper appreciation of the dedication required to serve people in such remote areas.

Over the past decade, Li has traveled through villages and mountain communities, from Badi and Yunling to Yangla and Benzilan, documenting local life and the landscapes of Baima Snow Mountain and Meili Snow Mountain. His reporting has brought him into contact with firefighters, forest rangers, villagers and inheritors of traditional culture. But it is the Party members who have spent years serving isolated communities who have left the deepest impression.

"During my years of reporting in rural areas, I've seen many Party members put down roots on the plateau and dedicate themselves to serving local people," Li said. "Their commitment deeply moved me."

Their example, along with the changes he witnessed in his hometown, inspired Li to join the Communist Party of China.

These experiences have also shaped his understanding of the fifth plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Committee, held in Beijing from Oct 26 to 29. The session adopted a resolution on persevering with full and rigorous Party self-governance, emphasizing the need to strengthen Party spirit, improve conduct and tighten discipline.

Li sees the importance of these efforts reflected in changes in rural governance. He said information about public welfare subsidies and village development projects has become more transparent, while residents now have more accessible channels to seek assistance.

"In the past, some villagers didn't know where to turn when they had a problem," he said. "Now there are channels for them to raise their concerns, and their problems can be addressed more promptly."

Li believes journalism can contribute to this process. Beyond documenting local development, he sees his role as reflecting residents' concerns and helping strengthen grassroots oversight through objective reporting on village affairs.

He plans to keep taking his camera into remote villages so that more residents' stories can be heard.