E-commerce helps farmers shake off poverty

Making a stew in an office water dispenser, or cooking a full barbecue using a car engine, Mrs Yeah is one of the country's hottest internet sensations, with over 6 million fans in China and 4.5 million followers on overseas social media.

But, Mrs Yeah and the marketing company behind her, Onion Group, have bigger ambitions than just showing the world how to be an unconventional chef. They aim to use the influence of social media to help villagers with poor internet access to sell their products.

"You can buy the agricultural products Mrs Yeah uses in her video with one click, as the social media page links directly to the sales channel. Through our key opinion leaders, we connect e-commerce platforms like Taobao with villagers," said Nie Yangde, co-founder of Onion Group.