Ouyang Feng poses for a photo in Cixi village, Jiangxi province. [Photo/Chinanews.com]

"Many villagers did not understand what we were doing and assumed we were making a TV show," she said. To give her images real rustic charm, she invited villagers, and a common ox, to pose with her.

The overwhelming response to the photos is above and beyond Ouyang's expectations, who said she would be careful to make sure the focus was always the village.

She was also glad that the photos had helped break the stereotype many people have of village officials.

"China has many young, Internet-savvy officials -- this is the image I want to present to the public," she said.