Fisherman hooks audience via livestreaming

Baiyangdian Lake covers 366 square kilometers. Shaozhuangzi village, where Shao was born and currently lives, is at its center and surrounded by water.

With only three years of schooling as a child, Shao once knew few Chinese characters. "I have learned many characters since I started livestreaming," he said.

He learned how to use livestream apps on a smart phone from two villagers who were the first in the village to try it.

"I mainly show the beautiful scenery of Baiyangdian to my fans while rowing a boat on the lake because the lake has changed a lot in recent years," he said.

He now has more than 6,000 fans on Kuaishou. He rows for about two hours each day.

The environment has improved greatly for Baiyangdian Lake. "Days with blue sky are increasing, and more residents, including me, have begun to swim in the lake again," Shao said.

The lake was long known for its ecological beauty, clean water and varieties of aquatic species. But it was polluted by industry and domestic wastewater in past decades.