Fisherman hooks audience via livestreaming

Standing on a dock at Baiyangdian Lake and holding three smart phones in front, Shao Xiaobei started livestreaming on Tuesday.

The 48-year-old wanted to show his 6,000 fans that many visitors had arrived at his hometown, Shaozhuangzi village in Xiong'an New Area of Hebei province. He wore a gray short-sleeved shirt, leaving his arms, face and neck exposed to the sunshine.

Life had changed since Shao, a native fisherman, became a host on livestreaming platforms like Kuaishou three years ago.

"Before livestreaming, I mainly attracted tourists via WeChat by posting pictures of Baiyangdian. But it was not as good as the live-streaming," he said.

China announced plans to set up the Xiong'an New Area in April 2017. It would take on Beijing's functions that are not essential to its role as the national capital and would receive some of the capital's colleges, hospitals, business headquarters and financial and public institutions.