Wei Xiaodong (left) inspects kumquats in an orchard at Dapo village, Rongan county, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, home to a digital agricultural demonstration base. (ZHANG AILIN / XINHUA)

Wei Xiaodong, 31, who was born in a small village in Rongan county, Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region, worked in e-commerce in Guangzhou, capital of Guangdong province, for many years.

When he saw rotten kumquats scattered in fields of his hometown during Spring Festival in 2016, he was heartbroken and decided to help. Wei quit his job to start a business with three of his childhood classmates, promoting kumquats to domestic and foreign markets online.

He and his classmates worked day and night on livestreaming, buying kumquats from villagers and packing them for delivery. Their hard work has paid off, and from 2018 to last year, Wei's company helped nearly 1,000 households in 12 towns in the county boost their incomes to a total of more than 15 million yuan ($2.31 million).

Wei Xiaodong (second right) and his childhood classmates cycle along a country road. (QIN QINGHE / XINHUA)

He and his team have expanded their business. Last year, they leased 6.67 hectares of land to set up a digital agricultural demonstration base equipped with an automatic control system. They are now exploring a new agricultural production and operation mode－from standardized planting to digital management and e-commerce sales.

Wei said clear waters and green mountains are "as good as mountains of gold and silver. We are transforming Rongan county's ecological advantages to 'gold and silver' and to boost rural revitalization.

Story and photos by Zhang Ailin

Wei Xiaodong (third right) and his team members celebrate a successful online order. (ZHANG AILIN / XINHUA)

Wei's team members livestream kumquat sales in December. (ZHANG AILIN / XINHUA)

Wei Xiaodong and his team check a weather and soil sensor. (ZHANG AILIN / XINHUA)

Villagers harvest kumquats. (ZHANG AILIN / XINHUA)

Kumquats are packaged. (ZHANG AILIN / XINHUA)

Wei (right) discusses the water supply system with technicians in the orchard. (ZHANG AILIN / XINHUA)