Southern China's Guangdong Province recently announced it will send 300,000 young people to work in the countryside by 2025. They will be on two-year placements and receive a small monthly stipend of about 300 dollars. It comes after President Xi Jinping called on young people last October to "vitalize the rural economy". Huang Fei has this story.

For a university graduate with an IT degree, growing crops may not be an obvious career choice.

But two years ago, Liang Zhipeng decided to quit his desk job for an opportunity to join a village work group.

It's made up of college graduates and employees from various state companies.

LIANG ZHIPENG Volunteer "I grew up in the city, so I had no experience with agriculture or rural work. I was just filled with curiosity and enthusiasm. It's different from what I imagined. There are a lot of chores, so I had to become very versatile. But this is my hometown. I wanted to help make it better."

More than 5,000 fresh graduates across Guangdong are expected to join the work groups this year.

Despite the low pay, village officials say the roles have been sought after.

HUANG FEI Zhaoqing, Guangdong Province "A renewed call for rural placements is coinciding with record unemployment in the city. Official data shows nearly one in five young Chinese urban residents are out of a job. And with a record 11.6 million college students set to graduate next month, finding a job in the city won't get any easier. In the meantime, there's plenty of important work to be done here in the countryside."

The volunteers have helped to improve local infrastructure, including by installing these lights and guardrails.

They also go door-to-door each month to check on the elderly.

LIN QUN Party Secretary, Liantang Village "For families that have been lifted out of poverty, we are continuing to help them become more self-reliant. Young people can come up with new ideas to grow the local economy. They are also very good at promoting cultural heritage, and are more environmentally conscious. The challenge for us is to encourage them to stay beyond their two-year placements."

Tourism and livestreaming e-commerce may be one way to retain young professionals and generate more income.

Guangdong wants at least 10,000 young people to join the rural workforce each year, and promises to increase support for startups.

Zhipeng plans to stay beyond his placement and is calling for more volunteers to follow suit.

Huang Fei, CGTN, Zhaoqing, in Guangdong Province.