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A Chinese official has received a flurry of compliments from the online community after she starred in a series of photographs promoting the picturesque village where she lives and works.
The photos, which feature Ouyang Feng, 27, in traditional Chinese dress, were all taken in rape-seed fields, as its yellow flowers begin to bloom this time of year. The photos quickly became one of the most shared posts on Chinese social media over the weekend.
Ouyang can be seen dreamily wandering through the sea of flowers, resplendent in her flowing, white dress, floral hairpins and parasol. Her similarity to characters out of Chinese costume dramas was not lost on netizens.
While many people were enamored by the model's classic beauty, opinions soon split after it was revealed that she is a village official who had posed for the photographs as part of a promotional campaign.
Ouyang is deputy secretary of the Communist Party of China branch of Sixi Village in Jiangxi Province. She said her only wish was to help her village cash-in on the blossom-sightseeing fever that sweeps China this time of year.
"I've come here to take pictures of these flowers for four years now. I love this place and I just wanted to give something back before I leave," said Ouyang, who will finish her official tenure in September.
The village, which has field upon field of rape-seed plants along its river, has reported an increasing number of urban tourists in recent years, all drawn by the floral offerings. These tourists are a new source of revenue for local businesses.
The photo shoot was Ouyang's idea. She understood the power that a good viral advert has in China. She has previously used social media to boost sales of local honey and rape-seed oil.
"Many villagers did not understand what we were doing and assumed we were making a TV show," she said. To give her images real rustic charm, she invited villagers, and a common ox, to pose with her.
The overwhelming response to the photos is above and beyond Ouyang's expectations, who said she would be careful to make sure the focus was always the village.
She was also glad that the photos had helped break the stereotype many people have of village officials.
"China has many young, Internet-savvy officials -- this is the image I want to present to the public," she said.
