In 1950s, Yan built the first international rural construction college in Phillipine. This institution was still working nowadays. His also did educational contribution in Thailand, India, Indonesia, Ghana, Columbia and etc.
Pearl S. Buck, once interviewing Mr. Yan, said that he lightened a lamp in the darkest place of the world. In Dingxian, a famous sentence is like this “if Yan is still alive, the rural area would not be so poor.” This is the reflection of Yan’s great influence and contribution to the country.
When he was very young, he had realized the importance of mass education. He summarized a system of scientific method in rural education, economic development, medical treatment and social organization. The basic element of world was not gold or steel, but people, the high quality people.
    Y. C. James Yan’s popular education was focus in Chinese rural areas, which advocates the combination of education in school, society and family. He promoted four ways of education, including literature and art education to cure ignorance; livelihood education to cure poverty; health education to cure disease; and civic education to cure misgovernment. The farmers were expected to improve their knowledge, productivity, health and organization power through education. In the long term, they could undertake the national revolution.Yan’s thought in popular education gave new sight to Chinese rural construction at that time.
    In order to memorize this great educational expert, Yan Yang-chu’Museum was founded at Tazi Mount two km away from Bazhou District in 1991. Yan Yang-chu Middle School was invested 90 million yuan. People in Zhaicheng Village spent 18,000 yuan in building Yan’s status. In Jul 19, 2004, International Conference about Yan’s Mass Education and Rural Construction was held in Dingzhou City of Hebei Province. More than 60 experts and 80 professors from China Education Institute, China Revolution Magazin, Peking University, Hebei Agricultural University and etc were present in the conference.
    Mr. Mi Qing-yun, the 80 years old man, was quite pleased to see the foundation of Yan’s status. Yan’s thought and practice has great affect on our society. Firstly, the mass education is based on developing people’s intelligence. Secondly, the nation can be prosperous only if people received education. Thirdly, the government should have a long head on mass education and national development. Yan’s practice offers a new sight for our work relating to agriculture, rural areas and farmers.