The mild spring sun leans low over acres of pear trees bursting into an ecstasy of bloom. The flowers, white as fresh-fallen snow, intoxicate the senses with a delicate fragrance. Visitors from across the country stroll beneath this canopy of beauty, welcomed warmly by local villagers. This is an ordinary yet fulfilling day in Duizhuangshi village—and much of its success is owed to one young woman: Yang Na.

Yang Na (center) visits a village elder. (Photo: Sohu)

Yang Na serves as the Deputy Secretary of the General Party Branch and Deputy Director of Duizhuangshi village in Liaoning Province. She is also the local director of the Qianshan Station of the Tsinghua University Rural Revitalization Workstation. Through her dedicated efforts to overhaul the village's tourism industry and raise local living standards, she has been honored with the 2026 China Youth May Fourth Medal and the Pioneer of the New Era Youth Award.

Her journey back began when she heard that her hometown desperately needed young talent to develop its tourism industry. Choosing to leverage her skills for the community, Yang Na gave up the comfort and stability of city life for a post as a reserve village official.

However, earning the community's trust was an uphill battle. At first, the villagers preferred to wait for veteran officials rather than entrust critical tasks to an unfamiliar young face. Yet, Yang Na displayed remarkable tenacity. Refusing to succumb to self-doubt, she let her competence speak for itself, gradually shifting the villagers' perceptions through hard work.

The key to breaking the ice lay in a thousand-year-old Nanguo pear tree—the historic ancestor of nearly 400,000 mu (around 27,000 hectares) of orchards across the region. For generations, locals have cherished this ancient tree as both a livelihood and a spiritual anchor. Yang Na used it as a natural conversation starter to build trust and settle into the community. She then spent nearly six months visiting elderly residents, listening to their stories and tracing folklore to reconstruct the village's cultural identity piece by piece—uncovering a rich heritage that even the locals had never fully realized.

Drawing on her specialized knowledge, she compiled these collected materials on local landscapes, unique rock formations and the history of the Nanguo pear tree to write the village's very first tour commentary. From there, Yang Na took the lead in organizing local tourism resources, designing three distinct sightseeing routes and developing more than 20 scenic spots. She also helped seven farming households renovate their courtyards into boutique rural homestays, offering patient advice on everything from interior layouts to signature local dishes.

Her structured approach caught academic attention. In 2021, Tsinghua University established its only rural revitalization workstation in Liaoning Province right in Duizhuangshi. Since then, more than 200 students from Tsinghua, Peking and other top-tier universities have traveled to the village for fieldwork.

Workers sort and package Nanguo pears on a modernized production line. (Photo: Xinhua)

Over the years, these young talents have helped boost the incomes of over 1,300 farming households. In 2024, the village's Nanguo pear sales reached 115,000 kilograms, with farmers' earnings growing by 45 percent year-on-year. The number of orchards featuring sightseeing and fruit-picking expanded to 30, attracting 400,000 tourists annually. Yang Na and the university students also co-developed over 50 cultural and creative intellectual property (IP) products, designed vibrant graffiti walls and created six "Instagrammable" scenic spots.

Thanks to these joint efforts, Duizhuangshi has earned prestigious accolades, including designation as a National 3A-Level Tourist Attraction, a National Beautiful and Livable Village, and a National Key Rural Tourism Village.

Today, when asked about Yang Na, the locals say, "She's the real deal." Their recognition and support have become her greatest motivation.

Yang Na's success story has galvanized numerous other college students to return to their own hometowns to start businesses. By dedicating their youth to the land, leveraging modern knowledge for rural development and tackling grassroots challenges with practical solutions, this new generation is steadily injecting vital momentum into China's comprehensive rural revitalization.