Seniors jumping aboard livestreaming bandwagon

When 73-year-old Gu Linshan first started livestreaming, he was bashful and had no idea what to say or do.

However, he soon became a well-known "silver-haired" anchor in Chenbian village, Xinghua, Jiangsu province.

On Nov 5, at 2:30 pm, Gu went live with just a mobile phone, a stand and two illumination lights.

He enthusiastically promoted local agricultural specialties such as hairy crabs and taro.

His mentor, Liu Tao, who is also Party secretary of Chenbian, joined him during the livestreaming sessions. Together, they sold over 22 orders in just half an hour, totaling more than 500 yuan ($68.80) in sales.

"At the beginning of my livestreaming journey, I didn't know when to speak or what to say, which made me quite nervous. Liu interacts with me during the streams, asking about planting and breeding — topics I am familiar with — allowing me to talk about them more naturally," Gu said.

Over the past five months, Liu has guided silver-haired anchors in producing short videos and assisting with agricultural livestreams. They managed to sell agricultural products worth over 200,000 yuan and distributed around 5,000 yuan in rewards to participants.

Xinghua is a major agricultural hub in the province, known for products like scallions, taro and hairy crabs, which are recognized as national geographical indication products or have registered geographical indication trademarks.

In 2023, the organizational department of the Xinghua Party committee launched its own brand, implemented a "red anchor cultivation plan", and organized grassroots Party members to help farmers stimulate sales.

This initiative is aimed at supporting comprehensive rural vitalization.

Under the initiative, Liu quickly distinguished himself by helping farmers sell agricultural products worth over 1 million yuan, amassing over 10 million views for the short videos he produced.

In June, he issued a recruitment notice for senior anchors, and Gu was the first to sign up.

Liu passed on his knowledge to other older anchors in the village, teaching them camera skills, how to interact with online viewers and how to share rural stories.

In recent years, the village has also conducted smartphone training to help elderly residents bridge the "digital divide".

Initially, many elderly individuals were nervous in front of the camera.

Liu said: "I guide the conversation during livestreams by discussing familiar topics such as planting techniques and how to consume agricultural products. This helps them speak more naturally. Before each livestream, we hold meetings to understand the features of the agricultural products and plan the overall content flow. Silver-haired anchors understand local agricultural products well and often share unique insights, such as cultivation tips and special consumption methods.

"This content really captivates the audience."

The village boasts many elderly anchors like Gu.

After retiring, Chen Tianchang returned to his hometown and initially faced boredom. However, he actively participated once the village began producing short videos and livestreaming.

"I feel happy and joyful when I introduce our village's agricultural products during livestreams, especially when the audience shows an interest," he said.

"I explain every detail to them, helping them understand and appreciate our offerings."

Now in Chenbian, a team of five livestreaming senior anchors has been formed, with six more undergoing training to join them.

In Daduo town, where Chenbian is located, nearly 40 "silver-haired anchors" are active in the field.

"We reward participants based on their sales from livestreaming, typically around 50 yuan per session," Liu said.