Rural charms harvest online appeal

As the morning light streams through the window and roosters crow, Mo Zhou yawns, steps out, calls his dog, grabs his tools, and embarks on a day's work.

The 26-year-old differs from other farmers in that he always carries a smartphone to record his day-today life. He's a vlogger, filming snippets of rural life and traditional homemade food for his 12 million followers on short-video platform Douyin.

From traditional dishes to heartfelt narratives, his videos capture the essence of rural life, showcasing the beauty of his hometown and its culinary delights.

His recording of the tranquil village of Chenjiazhai in Tongren, Southwest China's Guizhou province, has garnered a total of 320 million likes on Douyin. Named Zhouzhou on the platform, he has posted 577 videos.

"I cherish the earthy scent I carry and hope to encourage more young people to stay in rural areas and contribute to their hometowns through my experiences," Mo says.

Born to a rural family in 1998, Mo has two older sisters. His life changed when his mother was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2015. To ease the financial burden, Mo decided to quit school and take care of his mother at home in 2019 as his mother's health deteriorated.

Hearing about the man's story, fellow villager Mo Zhilin found that Mo Zhou had the potential to become a vlogger by sharing his daily life. Later in 2020, Mo Zhilin, Mo Zhou, Mo Jun and Yang Xudong set up their e-commerce company.

Facing challenges with shyness and camera presence, Mo Zhou overcame his inhibitions by studying other accounts, taking online courses in video production and seeking advice from others on how to authentically showcase rural life and cuisine in his videos.

As their fan base grew, they raised the bar for video quality, embracing the natural rhythm of rural life. They sourced local ingredients based on the seasons, fostering a sense of nostalgia and connection with their audience.

"I will continue to anchor myself in the countryside, utilizing my online influence to capture and share more of Guizhou's beauty, culture and culinary heritage," the man says.

Since Li Ziqi, a rural Chinese woman, became an online sensation in the late 2010s, an increasing number of rural life vloggers have put their countryside in the frame.

Thanks to the popularity of short-video platforms, they share their lives online and use the internet as sales channels.

These channels not only bring higher incomes but also inject new life into the country's rural vitalization.

Data from Douyin shows that last year, the platform had about 176 million rural content creators, posting more than 1 billion videos and selling about 4.73 billion orders of agricultural products.

According to data from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, from 2012 to the end of 2022, over 12.2 million people had returned or moved to rural areas with the aspiration of starting businesses. The number is expected to reach 15 million by 2025.