From City Lights to Rice Fields: How Technology Transformed a Village
In Mulan County's Huashan Village, Heilongjiang Province, Chen Lili's smartphone has become her most powerful farming tool. The former Beijing media professional now bridges China's urban-rural divide through livestreaming, selling over 6,000 rice orders in her first broadcast – all without leaving her family's fields.
The Livestream Revolution
Chen's pivot from urban careerist to agricultural entrepreneur illustrates China's rural digital transformation. 'Selling farm products doesn't require big companies – just a phone and honest storytelling,' she explained, recalling her 2021 debut broadcast that sold six months' inventory in hours.
Scaling Success
By 2024, Chen's initiative expanded to 400 hectares, partnering with 90 farming families to cultivate premium rice varieties. The program boosted collective incomes by ¥1.8 million ($250,000) through guaranteed-price contracts. Villager Ma Xiuying reported tripling her planted area after seeing 2023's results.
Rural-Urban Synergy
Experts note Chen's model combines e-commerce savvy with agricultural tradition, creating new value chains. Her million-strong online following demonstrates how digital platforms enable direct consumer connections – transforming smartphones into modern farming implements across China's countryside.
