Since December 2019, the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has quickly swept across the country, followed by a global pandemic. The whole 228 rural residents from a village in southern China were selected as the participants, and a self-administered questionnaire was used to assess knowledge, attitudes and practices (KAP) related to COVID-19. The news media from television/websites (92.98%) and radio from the village (75%) were the main source of information about COVID-19. More than 80% of respondents correctly identified the causative agent, incubation period, transmission route and typical symptoms of COVID-19. Almost all the respondents supported the government’s current prevention and control strategy and were confident of controlling COVID-19. Nearly 90% of respondents had worn masks in public and washed their hands frequently. Eight respondents (3.51%) were in a state of anxiety, with a mean self-rating anxiety scale (SAS) score of 52.63±2.00. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that middle school education (compared with primary school and the illiterate group), students (compared with farmers and other occupations) and SAS score were independent factors associated with the key practices of wearing masks in public, washing hands frequently and avoiding going to crowded areas (odds ratio (OR)=3.410, 95% confidence interval (CI)=1.472–7.901; OR=1.502, 95% CI=1.203–3.351; OR=0.919, 95% CI=0.869–0.972, respectively). The KAP toward COVID-19 among rural residents in a village in southern China was optimistic and without public anxiety, which provided certain reference value for further targeted prevention and control measures.