From balmy backwater to bustling internet bazaar

It used to be hard for Altumkhz Salam, a fashion-conscious Uygur woman, to find clothes that matched her dress sense, and even harder to get her hands on them, because she lives in one of China's remotest areas.

Her home is Inat, a small village at the foot of the Tianshan Mountains in Aksu prefecture in the south of the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region.

The village is just a few dozen kilometers from China's border with Kyrgyzstan, and for a long time communication with the outside world was difficult, if not impossible.

Many years ago, the only way Altumkhz could buy clothes was to travel to a bazaar in Wushi, 85 km away, the closest county to Inat.

Back then, it was normal for city dwellers to spend a whole day at the mall selecting and buying the right clothes, but the poor roads meant Altumkhz spent most of her time traveling back and forth between Inat and Wushi.

Things have changed since Adil Tohet, a 20-year-old Inat native, opened an e-commerce store in the village.

Adil returned to the village a year ago, after graduating from high school in Wushi county. His understanding of internet search engines, coupled with the Mandarin he learned at school, enabled him to open an e-commerce store with the help of the village government.

The online store offers shopping and delivery services, for which Adil charges a commission of 5 yuan (75 cents) per item. The villagers' shopping list runs from clothing and footwear to daily necessities.

Altumkhz, a frequent visitor to Adil's store, said: "You cannot imagine how useful Adil's shop is unless you live here. It is just a few minutes' walk from my house. He lets us choose what we want on his computer and orders it for us."

Wushi is the nearest point of delivery, so Adil travels there three times a week to collect goods for his clients.

"Speaking of deliveries, when I started this shop last year, I only had a small motorcycle. If the goods were large, I could do nothing about them," he said. "Luckily, the village leaders were supportive of my shop, and after hearing about my problem they gave me a pickup truck in January. My ability to move freight has been greatly improved."

In addition to the truck, the village government has provided Adil with an office in the newly-built village center.

"We are delighted to help a young man like Adil, who has connected the village with the outside world and improved the villagers' lives," said Liu Zaoyang, Party chief of Inat.

Last year, the road to Wushi was repaired, leading to Adil's journey time being cut to 45 minutes each way. The improved efficiency has helped to attract more clients from the village.

"Although my income is only 1,500 to 3,000 yuan a month at present, I believe it will rise as more people begin to trust the internet," Adil said, adding that he is planning to use his e-commerce platform to sell the meat of lambs raised in the village.