Hebei county turns trucks and screws into livestream success stories

She added that local government support, such as training for livestream hosts and expedited license plates for buyers like Ding, has helped drive the shift.

Bo'ang is representative of how Handan, a heavy industrial city, is helping traditional industries embrace the digital economy.

In Cheng'an's "one product, one livestream" industrial park — a 7,800-square-meter complex with a logistics warehouse, product exhibition hall, 18 shared livestreaming rooms, and training classes, all free to local enterprises — cameras are trained on production lines, assembly workshops, testing labs, and shipping warehouses. From January to May, livestreaming enterprises in the county generated 15.8 billion yuan in revenue, up 15 percent year-on-year, according to local authorities.

In one room, two young women were introducing screws on camera for Yibang Machinery Technology (Handan), a fastener producer that previously sold by the ton and now sells by the piece. "Though each screw sells for about 3 yuan, and the logistics cost is about 1.5 yuan, the goal is to link directly to customers and promote our brand, so that big merchants can notice us," said Yang Jianhui, the company's chairman.

The company once relied entirely on distributors and agents, with sales teams traveling to visit clients one by one and distributors requiring large sums tied up in inventory. Now, customers place orders and settle payments instantly online, improving profit margins, Yang said.