Digital tide drives trade, tourism in rural Gansu

LANZHOU — On the Loess Plateau, the traditional rhythm of spring farming has taken on a high-tech beat. Instead of just sharpening plowshares, farmers in Northwest China's Gansu province are adjusting ring lights and stabilizing smartphone gimbals.

In rural courtyards, local women promote handmade vinegar and deep-fried snacks to thousands of viewers in their native dialects, while young entrepreneurs in the fields use selfie sticks to broadcast the plateau's seasonal cycle to the world.

In Tangqi village of the city of Qingyang, an assistance studio has become a local sensation. Village officials have pivoted to streaming hosts, using short videos and livestreams to market local grains, fruits and snacks.

In 10 days, the studio's sales surpassed 110,000 yuan ($16,016). Even 70-year-old residents can be seen bringing baskets of eggs and dried goods to the studio, reaching national markets without leaving their village.

To date, 135 households in the village have seen direct income increases via the e-commerce model, according to local officials.

Further into the hills, the hamlet of Zhuangzimao, home to only 22 households, established an ecological farm in 2020, and every family has joined the livestreaming wave. Some grind soy milk and tofu on camera, while others brew aromatic yellow wine or sun dry chili powder.

Last year, Zhuangzimao's total sales of local specialties exceeded 3 million yuan, with over half of the households earning an annual income of more than 100,000 yuan.

This success is mirrored in the scale of individual "new farmers". In Yangpo village in the city of Dingxi, Zhou Jingang has transformed a small family yard into a standardized workshop for locally made potato noodles.

By using social media platforms, Zhou has expanded his production capacity to 1 metric ton of noodles daily and earned 100,000 yuan in annual income.

Gansu's rural vitalization is moving beyond simple sales, focusing instead on the deep-seated cultural value of nostalgia to merge agriculture, culture and tourism.

The success of Zhuangzimao lies in its authenticity. Farmers use mud to plaster walls and old tiles to pave courtyards, maintaining the raw essence of rural life.

"It's New Year! Big iron pots, firewood stoves — today we are frying dough snacks!" These were the words of a villager selling into her camera, surrounded by women in traditional red headscarves and floral aprons. This unvarnished portrayal of village life has turned online traffic into income.

Once a remote outpost, Zhuangzimao is now a national 3A-level tourist attraction. Last year, it welcomed 150,000 visitors, including study groups and photography enthusiasts who crowded the courtyards to taste authentic farmhouse meals.

According to Gansu's provincial department of culture and tourism, the province's rural tourism sector saw 657 million visits during the 14th Five-Year Plan (2021-25) period, with total revenue reaching 201.54 billion yuan.

"The core of this support lies in cultivating a group of 'new farmers' who understand both rural sentiment and modern business technology," said Mao Jinhuang, a professor at Lanzhou University's School of Economics.

Mao said that the transition from selling products to selling scenery, culture and experiences marks a profound shift in development philosophy. To bridge the skills gap, Gansu launched intensive training programs in 2025, focusing on e-commerce operations, brand building and financing strategies for returning entrepreneurs.

"With digital technology reshaping the rural landscape, fostering multiskilled talents who bridge the gap between local heritage and modern entrepreneurial tools remains key to sustaining the transformation," Mao said.