China ‘PhD village’ celebrates after gaining another doctoral student; has 33 PhDs already

A village in southeastern China has earned the nickname “PhD Village” due to its remarkable achievement of producing 33 offspring who have obtained doctoral degrees from prestigious universities, both domestically and internationally.

Pengdao Village, part of Nanan City in Fujian province, gained widespread attention at the end of August after a video showcasing a grand scholarship presentation held at the local ancestral clan hall went viral, as reported by the Xiaoxiang Morning Herald.

This ceremony, marking the second occurrence in its history, is sponsored by the Guo Family Education Fund, reflecting the dominant presence of individuals surnamed Guo in the village.

This year’s award recipients included one student admitted to Tsinghua University as a PhD candidate, 15 who will begin their master’s degree studies, and 46 undergraduates set to enter university in September.

During the ceremony, these accomplished students donned red sashes inscribed with the Chinese characters wu zu zhi guang, translating to “the glory of our ancestral clan.” They were filmed holding incense and bowing before the memorial tablets of their ancestors.

In total, the scholarship fund awarded a combined 217,000 yuan (US$30,000), with the highest individual grant reaching 8,000 yuan.

To date, 33 residents from this small hamlet have earned PhD degrees from esteemed institutions, including Tsinghua University, Hong Kong University, Cambridge University in Britain, and Cornell University in the US.