Xiji County

On the loess slope of Xiaohe village, Xiaohe township, Xiji county, Guyuan, northwest China's Ningxia Hui autonomous region, Su Zhanshan, a cattle farmer, was rushing towards the village library under the blazing noon sun and a cloudless sky. His herd's sudden loss of appetite caused him great concern. When asked by a fellow villager about what he planned to do, he answered with just two words: "Finding books." Villagers read books in a reading room established by the Ningxia Library in Yuanzi village, Liangtian township, Yinchuan, capital of northwest China's Ningxia Hui autonomous region. (Photo provided by Ningxia Library) He found a book on beef cattle breeding techniques at the village library, from which he identified that the main reason for his cattle's sickness was a problem with the ratio of silage to salt in their feed, causing digestive issues. "I always go to the library right away whenever there's an issue with cattle farming," said Su. Su's story is not unique in Xiji county, as Ningxia has made strides in improving rural public cultural services in recent years. In 2017, comprehensive cultural service centers were set up in every one of the 295 administrative villages in Xiji county. In…