30 Under 30 – Coding the Future: Teenage Programmers Breaking Barriers
How Zhang Rui, a 19-year-old self-taught coder, is turning rural classrooms into coding labs and inspiring China’s digital future.
📝 By Liang Chen | Tech & Youth Correspondent
From Rural Schoolbooks to Python Scripts
Zhang Rui (19) grew up in Guizhou province, a mountainous region better known for agriculture than for tech. His middle school had only two outdated computers, but Zhang was fascinated by them. With limited internet access, he taught himself coding from old e-books and online forums.
By the time he was 16, Zhang had created a mobile app to help local farmers track weather patterns and crop prices. “I wanted to build something useful for my village,” he says. “Coding felt like a new kind of farming—planting ideas instead of seeds.”
A Teenage Innovator
Zhang’s breakthrough came when he launched EduCode, a free app teaching children basic programming concepts in Chinese and local dialects. The app quickly spread across Guizhou’s schools, with over 50,000 downloads in its first year.
EduCode’s design reflects his own journey: it uses simple visual coding blocks so even children without prior experience can learn. “I wanted kids like me—who don’t have fancy schools or parents in tech—to see that programming is possible,” he explains.
Recognition and National Pride
In 2022, Zhang Rui won first prize at the National Youth Innovation Contest in Beijing. He was later featured in CCTV’s “Youth Innovators” program, where his story resonated with millions of viewers.
Local officials now support his initiative, integrating EduCode into rural school curricula. His achievement embodies the spirit of “数字乡村 (Digital Rural Development)”, part of China’s broader modernization agenda.
Challenges of a Young Prodigy
Despite praise, Zhang admits the journey is not easy. Many still see programming as impractical in rural life. Some parents worry their children should focus only on the Gaokao (college entrance exam) instead of “playing with computers.”
Zhang respectfully disagrees: “The Gaokao is important, but coding is another path to success. It gives us tools to compete in a global economy.”
Inspiring a Generation of Coders
Zhang Rui now travels to schools across Guizhou, holding coding bootcamps for teenagers. He encourages them with stories of pioneers like Qian Xuesen, the “Father of China’s Rocket Program,” reminding them that innovation often begins in humble places.
On his Weibo page, he shares coding tutorials mixed with motivational quotes. His most popular post reads: “Our ancestors planted rice to feed the body. We must code to feed the mind.”
Looking Forward
Zhang dreams of expanding EduCode into a nationwide platform, with AI-powered tutoring to support children in remote provinces. He also hopes to collaborate with state initiatives that promote STEM education across China.
“I am only 19,” he says, “but I want to prove that even a boy from a mountain village can help shape China’s future.”
A Digital Farmer of the New Era
In Zhang Rui’s journey, we see the essence of China’s Gen Z spirit—rooted in local identity yet reaching for global innovation.As he puts it: “My village taught me to till the land. Now I till the code. Both are for the future of China.”
