Post-90s college graduate returns home to sell specialties

Liu Bei, Deputy Director of Tuhao Village, Longnan City, Gansu Province

Few people that have left Tuhao village would want to go back ever again, except Liu Bei, a post-90s graduate from college.

Tuhao, a poor village in northwest China’s Gansu province, lacked agricultural diversity due to its poor access to information, its lack of transport facilities and the villagers' old-fashioned thinking. It was difficult for the villagers to market their agricultural specialties, and as a result, they could not make much money or earn a decent living.

But everything changed after Liu Bei came back after college and worked as an official in the village. "This is my hometown, I must do everything I can to help my fellow villagers increase their earnings and become better-off," she said.

Liu Bei learned about e-commerce, helped villagers purchase goods online, and registered an online shop to sell local farm produce.

"Not only has she opened an online shop, she also teaches us e-commerce skills through one-on-one training. Many young people in our village are now making money through e-commerce," said a young farmer.

"I intended to raise free-range chickens but didn't know anything about it. Director Liu found experts for me, showed me videos, and helped me apply for special funds. Now our free-range chickens sell extremely well online, and our incomes have increased a lot," said Yu Lianhu, a farmer from the village.

Besides, she has also paid attention to promoting local specialties through new media and various activities, and jumped at any chance to promote the specialties to a wider market.

"Until now, I didn’t realize that our specialties can sell at such a high price and in such a convenient way. She is really something!" said Yu Mingzhi, another farmer.

(Produced by "Aspire–Living Stories" team of China.org.cn)