China Mobile has built a 4G station in a far-flung village in Liping County, Guizhou Province, connecting the locals to the Internet for the first time.
The Dong ethnic minority group in Tongguan, a mountainous region, celebrated the recent milestone by holding festivities that included performances of traditional songs and having fireworks displays, according to Shanghai Daily.
In addition to the station, smartphones were also offered to some 400 residents by ZTE.
"Mobile access to the Internet marks the village's entry into the digital era, which brings with it new concept of learning, living and working," said villager Wu Zhengang who belongs to the Communist Party of China.
Meanwhile, the locals in Heidong, also in Liping County, were given mobile devices by Lenovo with which to connect to the wireless network.
The Internet connection program was brought to the villagers by Tencent Public Welfare Foundation as part of a museum project that aims to preserve the Dong people's "Grand Song," said the foundation's program director Chen Yuanyuan.
The "Grand Song," the Dong people's traditional choral music, has been sung for 2,500 years, which made it qualify to be part of the Representative List of UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity.
"With an Internet service, the Grand Song could get better exposure and more people around the globe could get a glimpse into the Dong culture," Chen said.
"I have told locals that with the Internet, you can sell tea, embroidery and other local products on e-commerce platforms. And you can keep in touch with family members that live in the big cities with instant message service," the official added.