Farmer choir in Ningxia lifts spirits

A choir organized by farmers in the central Ningxia Hui autonomous region in March is helping local residents rise out of poverty and inspiring them to become more motivated.

The farmers' chorus choir has 80 members, with an average age of 58 years. Li Zhenhong, a poverty alleviation cadre at Zhongning County Cultural Center, founded the choir and serves as vocal instructor for the farmers.

"What I hope for the choir is to have a mental transformation in this area, and eradicate bad habits to help residents become more positive," he said.

Around 116,000 residents currently live in Ningxia's Zhongning county in Zhongwei. In the 1980s, they relocated to the county from some desolate and arid parts of the province to harvest Chinese wolfberries.

Li himself is one of those who were relocated from the southern mountainous region of Ningxia known as Xihaigu, one of the world's most uninhabitable places because of its dry climate and harsh environment. He said he had a strong desire to establish the farmer choir on the right track and watch it blossom.

"Since I saw how the Gobi Desert found wealth, and I noticed some spiritual and cultural weaknesses in the residents, I hoped what I did would help them cultivate more confidence and enrich their lives," he said.

Video by Zhang Liang and Li Yinglian

Li Wenfang and Guo Jingyu contributed to this story.