Livestreamer brings Xinjiang's naan bread to wider audience

At the Urumqi Naan Cultural Industrial Park, which produces naan bread on an industrial scale, a combined livestreaming and e-commerce platform has opened up the market and created jobs for about 2,000 people.

The park sells about 600,000 rounds of naan a day, with online sales accounting for about 40 percent of the total, the park said.

The flat, wheat-based leavened bread enjoyed by many in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region is traditionally baked in a cylindrical oven, and has a long shelf life, making it convenient for long journeys.

Last year, Liu Jing quit her job as an advertising designer and joined the Urumqi Naan Cultural Industrial Park as a livestreaming host.

The 36-year-old graduated from the Chengdu Normal University with a major in English.

“I want to promote the culture of Naan to tell people about beautiful Xinjiang.”

At the beginning, Liu found livestreaming difficult.

“I was not a good speaker. Not many people watched my livestreams. I felt embarrassed to speak in front of just a few viewers,” she said.

Neighbors and friends helped her attract an audience and in the course of a year, Liu has accumulated hundreds of fans and now sells about 300 rounds of naan a day.

The park makes naan to order, and the bread is sent all over China.

Liu said her confidence in the park was the deciding factor in here decision to work there.

“It is run by a State-owned enterprise which guarantees food safety and the income is considerable,” she said.

As livestreaming host, Liu’s salary has risen to 7,000 yuan ($1,084) per month, compared to the 4,000 yuan she earned as a designer.

“I am full of energy every day because I see hope in livestreaming,” she said.