In reversal of fortune, a remote village prospers

There is a 1,000-year-old mine near Xiaying, which is a major production center of turquoise in Shiyan city.

A middle school graduate, Jiang knew nothing about the internet, but he believed it was a good business to start because he didn't need to pay money to rent a store. He learned about e-commerce 15 to 20 hours a day, before finally opening his own online turquoise shop in October 2012. And the result was beyond his imagination.

During his first year as an entrepreneur, he earned 500,000 yuan ($76,000), bought a house and a car, got married and fathered a child.

His story spread, and in 2013, more than 20 people in Xiaying were selling turquoise online, with total sales surpassing 10 million yuan. In 2017, the village's e-commerce sales reached about 100 million yuan. Its customers are located domestically and abroad.