"Catch the beauty of the soul on this land." In a video, Ma Liang, a man born in the 1980s, talks about the changes that have taken place in his village in Xiji county, Guyuan city, northwest China's Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region.
Ma, who graduated from Xi'an International Studies University in northwest China's Shaanxi Province, speaks fluent English in these videos. To date, he has released four episodes, which have been played about one million times on a short-video platform.
Ma believes it is his duty and responsibility to record and tell of the changes that have taken place in his hometown.
A screenshot of a video in which Ma Liang introduces the beautiful scenery in his hometown.
Before entering the media industry in 2019 and beginning a new chapter in his life, Ma was a teacher and worked in the government.
"I was born in the countryside. Although I left my hometown to pursue my studies and work in the city, I have always been emotionally attached to it," said Ma, speaking of the reason why he chose to return to his hometown.
Many of his friends opposed his decision to go back to the countryside, but Ma said he never thought about changing his mind. Instead, he developed a clearer vision for his future.
"I can make a difference in this wide world," Ma responded when people expressed doubt over his decision.
A screenshot of a video in which Ma Liang introduces the beautiful scenery in his hometown.
Ma's videos have become very popular on the short-video platform, impressing his viewers with his English-speaking abilities, and his commitment to promoting the countryside and showcasing rural life in China to the whole world.
The positive feedback has boosted Ma's confidence in what he is doing.
"We don't make these videos to get traffic. Our videos are about the countryside and we want to tell stories about rural people. This is our original aspiration," said Ma, expressing the hope that the videos can make people feel the sincerity of the creators and convey an enduring and vibrant energy.
Ma's parents have been supportive of his job. "My father always tells me that my roots are in the countryside and I must make a contribution to my hometown," Ma expressed.
"I want to do a good job telling China's stories, stories of my hometown and stories of everyone," expressed Ma.
