From farmer to photographer: Lens captures life

"Villagers used to live in yaodong and later moved into clean, safe houses," Ma said, explaining the story behind his photos of the residents' cavelike homes made of mud.

A memo on Ma's phone is difficult to read: It lists the nicknames of the people in his photographs. 

"I took too many photos, so nicknames help me remember them," he said. Not long ago, Ma bought a drone for aerial photos. 

"The country is working hard now on rural revitalization, and I hope to record moments in the process and also tell the stories of the people who benefit from the program," he said.

Fang Mingming and He Naijiang contributed to this story.