Aiwuwan epitome of educational achievement

Aiwuwan village in Yiyang, Hunan province, which has a population of just a few hundred households, has become famous as a "village of top students", according to a report by Rural Women magazine.

The village is home to five people who have studied at Harvard University, six who have been admitted to Peking University and over 300 who have pursued their degrees at other universities since the country restored the college entrance exam, or gaokao, in the late 1970s.

Last year alone, 11 village students began studying as undergraduates.

The hashtag "Over 300 college students from a single village, including six Peking University students" became a trending topic on Weibo, a microblogging platform, with comments like "It's really awesome that a small village has achieved that" and "Learning is the best way to rewrite destiny".

Aiwuwan is known for its academic culture, and every household believes that education is the key to success, said village Party Secretary Gong Xiaohong.

Its dedication to education is symbolized by a large sculpture at the village entrance of a giant pen that is called the "learning pillar". Inscribed on it are family mottos about the importance of learning and the names of successful students from the village.

Village officials frequently visit the homes of students prior to the college entrance exam to assess their needs and provide support, Gong said.

"Good academic performance is a source of pride here, and every family encourages their children to study hard and achieve excellence," Gong said.

The villagers are passionate about encouraging their children to pursue their dreams and become role models.

Every household supports education, believing that even if they must forego certain luxuries in life, a quality education is a necessity.

However, despite this success, students from Aiwuwan face many challenges.

The conditions and resources for rural students are still insufficient compared to those available to their urban counterparts.

In the event of family problems such as a death or illness, the village works together to support the children who have been affected so that they can continue their studies.

Gong Haoran, a professor at Zhejiang University who came from the village, set up a scholarship before he died to encourage children from his hometown to strive for higher education.

The scholarship, which has been available for 10 years and has benefited 68 students, provides a prize of 3,000 to 4,000 yuan ($420 to 560) to those admitted to universities.

"This year, we also plan to award scholarships to students who pursue further studies or attend vocational schools. Those who are admitted to master's programs will receive 5,000 yuan, while those who are admitted to doctoral programs will receive 7,000 yuan, and those who attend vocational school will receive 1,500 yuan," said Gong Menghua, the nephew of Gong Haoran.

Some students who graduated from universities also returned to the village to start businesses or donated money for its development. For example, Gong Binfang, who graduated from Xiangtan University, donated 250,000 yuan to build a road to the village.

And another graduate, Guo Wen, came home and started a large-scale pig breeding business to help develop the village.

More and more villagers in Aiwuwan recognize that studying can indeed change one's life, and every child in the village is driven to pursue their academic goals with passion and determination.

"They all hope to become heroes in their own hearts, and to set examples for their hometown," said Gong Xiaohong, village Party secretary.