Volunteer graduates head out west to support development in rural areas

Program has given youth experiences, opportunities for more than 20 years

For 22-year-old Guo Chao, taking some time out from his arts degree in Hunan province has given him the opportunity to contribute to a far-off rural community as one of the nation's dedicated young volunteers.

When signing up for the Communist Youth League volunteering program, Guo had little idea that in just a short while he'd be in the tiny town of Santanghu on China's border with Mongolia in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region.

He'd also have little idea that one of his first tasks in the town in the region's Hami prefecture, would be slicing peppers.