Asparagus crop boosts Shandong's economy using live streams

In a bid to promote the rural culture and tourism attractions of Qingguji town in Caoxian county – located in Heze city in East China's Shandong province – special live streaming events were held during the New Year period.

Lively hosts energetically guided online viewers to the marketplaces of the town, offering a virtual tour of its distinctive products, great cuisine and appealing cultural artifacts.

One highlight of the events was a dual approach of offering indoor live streaming and greenhouse tours, presenting the local specialty – fresh asparagus.

A host promotes fresh asparagus through a live stream. [Photo by Sun Peng for chinadaily.com.cn]

The enthusiasm of the live streaming hosts proved effective, attracting not only curious customers but also local asparagus farmers, with the highest online viewership topping 1,000 during the live broadcast.

Hu Yinyin, one of the hosts, was delighted with the success of the live streaming venture. "We reached a peak online viewership of over 1,000 and today's sales exceeded a remarkable 200,000 yuan ($27,790)," Hu added.

Qingguji town currently has 10,000 mu (66.67 hectares) given over to asparagus cultivation, producing around 20,000 tons annually.

The town's commitment to asparagus-related products is equally noteworthy, as 90,000 tons is now processed each year with an annual output value of 1 billion yuan. As a result, the thriving industry has now become a significant employer, supporting over 15,000 people. (Edited by Zhou Yunlai)