Chongqing - In Sanjiao Town of Chongqing's Qijiang District, livestreaming is no longer the preserve of influencers. From pumpkin to watermelon fields, village cadres are taking to digital platforms to sell farm produce, promote rural tourism, and strengthen ties with residents.
Guo Yan, a village cadre from Houba Village in Sanjiao Town, Qijiang District, Chongqing, livestreams to sell watermelons. (Photo provided by the interviewee)
On a recent evening at the pumpkin base in Houba Village, post-00s village worker Guo Yan balanced a phone on a stabilizer as she filmed villagers harvesting golden pumpkins. "Slow down, smile a bit more!" she reminded them, determined to capture the best footage for online promotion. Earlier this summer, her first watermelon livestream drew buyers from far beyond the village — an experience that gave her confidence to continue.
From Market Stalls to Online Screens
The digital shift began with village official Jiang Tingting. After years of helping elderly residents haul produce to markets at dawn, she realized the hardships they faced. "Some came at three or four in the morning to secure a stall," Jiang recalled. In 2021, she decided to try livestreaming. Since then, she has hosted more than 20 livestreams and produced over 100 short videos, selling around 1 million yuan (USD 140,558) worth of produce from Qijiang and neighboring regions.
Jiang Tingting promotes the upcoming sunflower seed harvest in Zhongba Village. (Photo provided by the interviewee)
"Now I can focus on farming instead of rushing to markets," said villager Zhang Daoqin, praising Jiang’s efforts. Inspired by her success, other cadres in Sanjiao Town soon followed suit. Today, all 21 villages and communities in the town have cadres producing short videos or livestreaming, with total online sales nearing 2 million yuan.
Young Talent Joins the Digital Drive
Among the new faces is 24-year-old Zou Qiqing, the youngest livestreaming cadre in Sanjiao Town. Trained in railway engineering, Zou returned home to find herself promoting 1,200 mu (about 80 hectares) of green Sichuan peppercorns through short videos. Though shy and inexperienced, she pushed herself to learn editing, join e-commerce workshops, and rely on colleagues to "act" in her clips.
At 24, Zou Qiqing is the youngest cadre in Sanjiao Town to embrace livestreaming. (Photo provided by the interviewee)
"Livestreaming looks easy, but every minute online requires ten times the preparation offline," noted Guo Yan. Teams of cadres brainstorm catchy topics, rehearse dialogues, and even experiment with humorous skits — from wearing chili pepper necklaces to demonstrating fraud prevention tips through rural-style performances.
Beyond Sales: A Tool for Governance
For cadres like Liu Shaojun, deputy secretary of Hongyan Village general Party branch, livestreaming has gone beyond selling peanuts and poultry. Known by his online alias "Liu Happy," he uses videos to communicate directly with villagers, promote policies, and even smooth out sensitive community projects. Recently, when the village needed to remove illegal sheds to develop rural tourism, Liu promised to film a “before-and-after” video praising the efforts. Within days, villagers voluntarily cleared the area.
"Residents see our efforts online and in turn support our work offline," Liu said with a laugh.
Liu Shaojun (center) records short videos with villagers to showcase changes in Hongyan Village. (Photo provided by the interviewee)
Officials in Sanjiao Town see digital skills as the “new farm tools” for rural cadres. The town has organized training sessions, partnered with local livestreaming companies, and set up permanent livestreaming studios in several villages. More than 50 villagers and small business owners have joined the effort.
By combining livestreaming with governance, Sanjiao Town is pioneering what local officials call a “livestream + rural revitalization” model. “It’s about more than selling products,” one town leader explained. “It’s about connecting with people, solving problems, and showing the vitality of the countryside in a new era.”