Divergent paths to common prosperity

And the COVID-19 outbreak accelerated this trend by boosting sales, since more people began to eat at home during lockdowns.

Livestreams also enable potential buyers to see where their food comes from, demystifying the journey from farm to table in ways that both inform and entertain.

Anyuan county passion fruit farmer Wei Shaozhen says his monthly income has multiplied from a few hundred yuan to between 10,000 and 20,000($1,520-$3,040) since he started livestreaming last year.

"I can easily receive several hundred orders a day during a two-hour livestream," he says.

The opportunities emerging from livestreams and e-commerce have coaxed some educated young people to return to their villages in Ganzhou rather than seek jobs in big cities.

Kuang Xiaomi moved back to Xunwu after graduating from a university in Guangdong's provincial capital, Guangzhou, to found Manshanhong Ecological Agriculture Co.