Young girl dedicated herself to promoting Korean ethnic culture

In a small village named Hongqi in northeast China, few young people choose to stay in their hometown because bigger, more developed cities provide better job opportunities.

But this ethnic-Korean village is lucky enough to still have a young woman who is devoted to introducing the local culture to visitors.

CRI's Huang Yue has been staying in this village for the past few weeks and spent some time with the woman.

Hongqi village is home to around 100 members of China's Korean ethnic minority. The village is billed as China's top Korean ethnic village thanks to its booming tourism industry.

However, many of the young people who call the village home leave, choosing not to return to Hongqi at the foot of the Changbai Mountains after they finish college. Instead, they seek work and other opportunities in more developed cities across the country.

Some even go to South Korea to seek job opportunities since they are also Korean speakers and it's easier for them to apply for work visas.

But 26-year-old Kim Miryeong is an exception.

"After I graduated from middle school, I went to several places for jobs. But in 2013, I decided to come back to my hometown."

26-year-old Kim Miryeong performs traditional Korean ethnic dance in Hongqi Village, Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture, northeast China's Jilin Province, April 10, 2019. [Photo: China Plus/Huang Yue]

Working as a guide and dancer in Hongqi Village, Kim is now the only ethnic Korean among all other Han staff on the team.

As Hongqi Village is becoming a more and more popular stopping point when people travel to the Changbai Mountains, Kim says sometimes she is even too busy to eat on time.

"During the busiest times, I can probably be the guide to more than 20 tour groups per day. And I remember once I took part in 11 performances in one day. In peak tourist season, sometimes I barely have time for lunch or dinner, so I might just take a quick bite during performance breaks on the stage."

Li Lanhong, another dancer on the performance team, says despite Kim's young age, she is a senior employee on their team who takes care of newcomers.

"I've performed with Kim since last year. She is optimistic and vivacious. She cares about people. Sometimes when I feel uncomfortable, she comes and says 'Lanhong, let us work it out, you should take some rest.' She has been working here for many years, and we are newcomers. So she takes care of us."

26-year-old Kim Miryeong performs traditional Korean ethnic dance in Hongqi Village, Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture, northeast China's Jilin Province, April 10, 2019. [Photo: China Plus/Huang Yue]

There are now eight members on the performance team. Kim Miryeong and the other girls start their work at 8:20 a.m. and go home at 9 p.m.

They can only take two days off each month, earning a monthly salary of around 3,000 yuan, or 447 U.S. dollars.

Duan Zhigang manages the canteen where Kim Miryeong and other dancers perform. He is also the head of the guides and dancers in the village. He says most young people choose not to stay in the village, and that's why it's hard for him to employ more staff.

"(Kim) is a very kind-hearted and unsophisticated girl. She takes the tasks I assign her very seriously and reports to me regularly. Now, there are five people on our team who have to be both a guide and a performer. We considered employing more people, but we have limited human resources. People prefer leaving rather than staying in the village. They want to see the outside world."

26-year-old Kim Miryeong introduces Hongqi Village to tourists in Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture, northeast China's Jilin Province, April 15, 2019. [Photo: China Plus/Huang Yue]

Nevertheless, when being asked if she wants to go outside of the village for better job opportunities, Kim says she would like to stay home with her family. And more importantly, she wants more people to understand the culture of the Korean ethnic minority group.

"My parents, my kids, and my husband are all here. I'm used to the life here. Although it looks like I'm just repeating the same thing day by day, the tourists are from different places. They can give me different experience."

Kim adds that she has deep feelings about the village because it's home.

"This is the place where I grow up. The seniors in the village watched me growing from childhood. During all these years I've been working here, I've witnessed more and more tourists coming, and the better and better development of the village. I feel happy with all my heart. Although it's tiring, I think it's worthwhile. I hope more people will know about the culture of our Korean ethnic group."

26-year-old Kim Miryeong introduces Hongqi Village to tourists in Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture, northeast China's Jilin Province, April 15, 2019. [Photo: China Plus/Huang Yue]

Hongqi Village is located on a roadside and people must pass by when they visit the Changbai Mountains.

It welcomed 450,000 visitors last year with an annual tourism income of 400,000 yuan, or 59,600 U.S. dollars.

The village is the first of its kind in Yanbian Korean Autonomous Prefecture that has been lifted out of poverty by developing ethnic tourism.

For CRI, I'm Huang Yue.