A new breed of college graduates is emerging in China and instead of joining the rat race in the city, some are heading out to the countryside to find jobs.
One such graduate is 23-year-old Hu Ji, who graduated in 2009 with a sociology degree from East China University of Political Science and Law.
She's what you call a "village official" - a buzzword in China these days as college graduates are selected to serve as village officials.
In 2008, during the global financial crisis, China started recruiting graduates to work in the countryside.
It was a way to help unemployed college graduates find jobs, as well as to enrich the lives of local farmers.
Huo Jian Village village secretary Qiu Feng Guo said: "The literacy standards of our village cadres are pretty low. These graduate village officials can help us enhance the cultural qualities in the village".
Working as an assistant to the village secretary, Hu Jin says her job scope is varied and allows her to be more hands on.
"On the one hand, I learn how to communicate with villagers from senior officials. This, you will never learn at college," she said.
"The Communist Youth League works with young people as well, and I'm good at that because I'm still young so it's easy for me to get along with youngsters."
Hu Ji also helps the elderly and goes door-to-door to check on them.
Her stint is going down well with farmers here.
One retired farmer said: "She's quite considerate of the villagers and often drops by to ask about our current situation. I can't accept her ideas and thoughts 100 per cent, but basically she's done a good job."
Another female villager said: "College graduates are highly educated; our villagers cannot compare with them."
Hu Ji said she hopes her field work will set her apart from her peers.
"Working as a village official for three years will be an immaterial wealth for me," she said.
"Chairman Mao said that the village is a vast land. This is a big world and if I commit myself to the village, I will definitely gain a lot from this experience."
Village secretary Qiu said: "They know little about village life beforehand. But they learn a lot about the villagers' situation and the village itself, once they start work".
In two years' time, there should be about 100,000 Chinese college graduates employed as village officials, a project aimed at developing the rural areas in China.
WE ARE ALL ONE FAMILY.
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