Villagers perform a short play in Yinan County, Linyi City, east China's Shandong Province, June 10, 2026. (Xinhua)

JINAN, July 22 (Xinhua) -- On mornings during the slack farming season, Yang Suhua, a villager from Beicun in Yinan County, east China's Shandong Province, hurries to a scenic spot in neighboring Changshanzhuang Village, where she now works as a performer in addition to her farm work, a role she never could have imagined just a few years ago.

This scenic area offers a well-preserved rural landscape that dates back to the Chinese People's War of Resistance against Japanese Aggression (1931-1945).

Local authorities there have turned old courtyards and revolutionary heritage sites into open-air stages, with no raised platforms or elaborate lighting. The performers are largely local villagers like Yang, who, after training, stage skits and plays in the local dialect. These performances bring to life the stories of the village women who risked their lives during the war to deliver supplies, tend to the wounded and relay messages.

"Now we don't have to leave home to chase our dreams, and we get paid for it too," Yang said during a break between performances.

"As the story unfolds, the audience is often drawn into the narrative, transitioning from being mere spectators to becoming part of the story itself," said Li Xipeng, chairman of the scenic area. "This immersive experience allows visitors to truly feel the revolutionary culture as if they were there."

These folk performances have revived the region's revolutionary heritage while also boosting the local economy. Beyond performing on stage, villagers from surrounding communities have found multiple ways to raise their income, such as leasing land, taking day jobs at the scenic site, and selling local products to tourists. Now, the annual per capita disposable income in the area exceeds 15,000 yuan (about 2,208 U.S. dollars).

Across China, new forms of cultural expression are lowering the barriers for rural communities to engage in creative activities. Farmers are no longer just characters in stories told by others. Instead, they are increasingly becoming storytellers, performers and beneficiaries in their own right.

In Tandi Village of Sishui Township, south China's Guangdong Province, a short-drama crew had set up cameras right next to lychee orchards. Wang Youxiang, a local villager taking part in the production, stood nearby, listening to the director's instructions and occasionally offering her own suggestions on how rural life should be shown on screen.

Wang recalled that in the past, all she knew was growing lychees. During the off-season, her only pastime was watching TV. Now, she has appeared in several short-drama productions. "I get to act and I get to make friends," she said.

Short-drama crews have brought more than cameras to the village -- they've brought new business. Villager He Qinghai said the productions have put money in locals' pockets through acting fees and opened up new markets for their lychees.

Keen to look good on screen, families have tidied up their courtyards and spruced up village lanes. Neighbors are now swapping acting tips and learning from each other. The village looks different and so do its people.

Meanwhile, in the mountainous regions of southwest China's Guizhou Province, music is playing a similar role in transforming rural lives. Yu Chengliang, a teacher from Maluhe Village in Tunjiao Township, has introduced "rare finds" including the saxophone, trumpet and drum set to the local school, establishing a "village orchestra."

Through self-study, he turned himself into a multi-instrumentalist proficient in over a dozen instruments, and has taught the children hands-on. With his mentorship, more than 300 students have acquired instrumental skills, and music now serves as both their hope and their driving force to break free from the confines of the mountains.

Yu's efforts have also touched the left-behind elderly in the village. Luo Kailian, 74, has been a member of the "village orchestra" for more than a decade.

"I used to think that playing musical instruments was a pastime for city dwellers and had nothing to do with us rural seniors," she said. "But over the years, learning music from Teacher Yu has kept me cheerful every day and made life feel more promising." ■

This file photo taken in October 2024 shows villagers performing a short play in Yinan County, Linyi City, east China's Shandong Province. (Xinhua)