HUAZHOU, February 25th (AMSP/CGTN) – – China has unveiled its “No. 1 Central Document” for 2025, emphasizing agricultural and rural development. A key priority is fostering local industries, aiming to transform basic farming into higher-value businesses. In southern China, a young man has been revitalizing his hometown’s traditional fruit industry through e-commerce. His impactful work has earned him a role as a National People’s Congress deputy.
In the small village of Pingshan in rural Guangdong, a grand annual celebration called Nianli is underway. It’s a modest rural community, but lavish dishes like lobsters are being served at villager Lin Zhining’s table. The elderly farmer says it’s all thanks to the fruit he grows. “If you want to get rich, plant Huajuhong,” Lin Zhining underscored.
The Huajuhong Lin mentions is a type of pomelo unique to the soils of Huazhou in Guangdong Province. Its rind has a distinctive fuzzy texture, and the dried peel is believed to have medicinal benefits for the respiratory system.
Born and raised in Huazhou, 32-year-old Liao Zhilue grew up with Huajuhong. He learned the technique of making the dried peels at age five from his grandfather. Now, he’s showing his young daughter the same craft, except she no longer needs to help with farm work.
The family has moved up the supply chain to become not just a grower and processor, but also the seller of their products.
It makes Liao Zhilue what’s known as a Xinnongren, a “new farmer” who’s been educated in the cities, and brought new ideas, technologies, and business models to traditional farming practices.
Having spent years expanding markets for his pomelo, a turning point finally came for Liao in 2021, when a video of them making the peel went viral. From there, they established online live-streaming sales through the short video app as a primary revenue stream. This success was made possible by China’s booming e-commerce ecosystem.
“In this era, I believe the rise of the internet, especially short video and live streaming platforms, has brought more opportunities for rural revitalization and local industries.” said Liao Zhilue, Chairman of Peilin Pomelo Planting Cooperative, Huazhou, Maoming, Guangdong Province.
Local authorities report that the total output value of the entire industrial chain surpassed 10 billion yuan for the first time last year, creating jobs for over 350,000 people.
Following his contribution in advancing Huazhou’s Huajuhong industry, Liao was elected as a deputy to the 14th National People’s Congress in 2023.
Last year, he submitted a proposal to allow Huajuhong to be sold not just as a medicinal ingredient but also as a food product.
It was approved, significantly expanding the market for the entire industry. This year, one of Liao’s proposals is to accelerate the construction of a highway connecting Huazhou to the mega port city of Shenzhen, which would address a common complaint among local business owners, who frequently share their concerns with Liao.
“Normally, small towns and counties might not receive much attention, but as an NPC deputy, I can relay the voices of grassroots communities directly to the central government. The relevant ministries will respond quickly,” Liao Zhilue said.
Like many of his peers, Liao grew up with his grandparents in the village while his parents worked in the cities.
For his generation, many have found opportunities to thrive in their rural hometowns, staying right by their children.
A virtuous cycle is already starting, in which prosperous villages will attract more youngsters to come back, joining the forces for rural revitalization.
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CGTN