Singer: Girl pursues ideals in new life

Jihao Youguo didn't expect to become famous. When the 15-year-old ethnic Yi girl took the stage during the opening ceremony of the 31st FISU World University Games in Chengdu, Sichuan province, in July, fame was the last thing on her mind.

But as she, along with five friends from Liangshan Yi autonomous prefecture in Sichuan, sang The National Flag Is So Beautiful, their pure, melodious voices electrified listeners at home and abroad and made them instant internet celebrities.

Jihao Youguo — dubbed "Little Nightingale" by residents of her village — said the chance to perform at the opening ceremony of the games was the best gift she has ever received. She practiced diligently every day as the FISU World University Games approached, hoping to perform her best for the live audiences and TV viewers around the world.

Today, not surprisingly, The National Flag Is So Beautiful is her favorite song — the happiest and most unforgettable one she knows.

And every time she sings, Jihao Youguo's voice carries the message of her happy life and the progress that rural vitalization has brought about in her village.

Chen Weiya, chief director of the opening ceremony of the games, said the children from Liangshan prefecture were happy to express their respect and love for the national flag. "They have a very important role, which is to represent the people who have risen out of poverty and become well-off," Chen said.

Five years ago, Jihao Youguo sang at what was then her humble home in Sanhe, a village in Liangshan. According to her, great changes have taken place since then in her village, located about 70 kilometers from Xichang, in southern Sichuan.

It was among the last group of villages in China to be lifted out of poverty, a process that was completed by the end of 2020. It now has a history museum and a library.

"Everyone in the village has moved into new houses," said Jihao Youguo. "They are big and beautiful." Her family's new home covers 100 square meters and includes four bedrooms, a living room, a kitchen and a bathroom. It has new sofas, a tea table, a television and other home appliances.

After moving into their new home in 2019, Jihao Youguo's parents opened the first store in the village. They sell snacks, instant noodles, beverages and other daily necessities.

Her father, Jihao Yeqiu, and her mother were offered public welfare positions in their village.

"With the earnings from the store, beekeeping and raising cattle, my family's annual income was more than 100,000 yuan ($14,290) in 2022. This was several times more than what we made in previous years," he said.

He said he hoped his five children would study hard and use their knowledge to provide better lives for themselves.

Both parents have been supportive of their children's hobbies and the pursuit of ideals.

Jihao Youguo said her mother grows a lot of vegetables and has learned to cook new kinds of food. Her kitchen is clean and tidy, with many cured meats and sausages hanging from the beams.

"Every time I return home from boarding school during the holidays, what I want most is to enjoy the delicious food my mother cooks," Jihao Youguo said.

The singing sensation will be a second-year student in a junior middle school in Xichang when the new school term begins in September. She looks forward to studying hard in the coming months.

She hopes to become a music teacher some day and return to her village to teach more children to sing — to let the sound of happiness spread throughout the world.