By running an e-commerce company in Turpan, a city in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Ubaidulla Umar became a millionaire in less than four years by simply selling fruits.
"Does anyone know how to distinguish male pears from female pears? The first to answer correctly will win a box of fragrant pears," Ubaidulla said while interacting with the audience.
Ubaidulla, born in the 1990s, is sunkissed from toiling in the fields. The young man's tanned skin and shining face on-screen allows the audience to feel the warmth of the Turpan Basin.
Ubaidulla's parents made their living from agriculture, so he calls himself a "second-generation farmer." But unlike his predecessors, he has succeeded by combining local agriculture with e-commerce.
After graduating from Xinjiang Vocation and Technical College of Construction in 2015, Ubaidulla applied for a job in an e-commerce company in central China's Changsha.
During his spare time, Ubaidulla visited the headquarters of China's tech giant Alibaba Group, and audited at Peking University and Zhejiang University to learn about business management.
In 2017, seizing the opportunity of Xinjiang's vigorous promotion of tourism, he returned to Turpan to start his own business, and Albay E-commerce Co., Ltd was established.
Located in Gaochang District, the two-story headquarters of the company covers an area of 300 square meters. The first floor is the e-commerce experience hall with ethnic characteristics, selling local products such as raisins, honey and medlar, as well as tourist souvenirs, and the broadcasting room is on the second floor.
At present, the company has six live-streamers, four of whom are college graduates, including Ubaidulla.
Apricots, cantaloupes and grapes -- all kinds of fruits are sold via e-commerce platforms such as Taobao, Douyin and Pinduoduo, covering all seasons.
During the live broadcast, Ubaidulla not only tells the story of his fruit but also introduces the local conditions and customs of Xinjiang.
"Live broadcasts are not only for selling but also for spreading the culture behind the goods," he said.
The epidemic this year has badly hurt the businesses, but Ubaidulla has found new opportunities. He cooperated with growers and farmers and began to sell and deliver fruits, vegetables and meat to stay-at-home local customers.
During the epidemic, Ubaidulla and his team distributed a total of 50 tonnes of groceries and other daily necessities. So far in 2020, the turnover of the company has reached more than 8 million yuan (1.17 million U.S. dollars). "This year's target is to achieve a turnover of 15 million yuan," he said.
