On Oct 30 Xinjiang finished choosing 3,000 civil servants from 14 ethnic groups to form teams to give children in southern Xinjiang lessons in either Chinese or Uyghur. The area is one of China's most difficult for poverty alleviation work because of its consistent bad weather.

A kindergarten teacher tells stories about national unity to children. [Photo/ Xinjiang Uyghur Party Committee United Front Work Department]

The autonomous region made its selections within a half month and will start to send those selected to southern Xinjiang schools by Nov 10 after 10 days of training.

The activity attracted a large number of applicants. A division of the Transport Department of Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, for instance, had 60 people competing for the 20 positions available.

The applicants also include heads of some cultural centers and some local school teachers who are party members.

Wang Shanshan, 58 years old, is head of a cultural center in the Urumqi high-tech Technological Development Zone and a member of the team.

"I really hope that children in southern Xinjiang will have a chance to learn Chinese culture. So I applied to teach them paper-cutting and painting."