Rural markets charm new generation

As Spring Festival approaches, the market in Quchaihe town, Jilin province, is attracting more visitors with its local food and produce. The stalls brim with treasures, such as wild mushrooms plucked from nearby mountains and Korean-style pickles.

"Since 2023, the number of customers has started to surge. It's not just locals anymore," said Chen Zhanwen, a vendor who sells Korean-style pickles at the market. "Young people come, take photos, and ask about our traditions. It's like the market has woken up."

At a niangao stall in Jinan, a vendor surnamed Zhang is aware of the benefits of online marketing and easier competition. He travels from Linyi, another city in Shandong, to sell his rice cakes, and wears a camera around his neck to film videos for his Langya Big Brother's Niangao social media account.

"No online views mean no sales," he said. "Back home, 50 to 70 niangao vendors compete for business, so I travel to Jinan's markets."

His social media videos are raw and unpolished. They showcase steaming rice cakes, crowds lining up, and quick chats with customers.

The rough authenticity of the videos has struck a chord with followers. "Young people don't want perfect ads," he said. "They want to see the real thing."

Cultural weight

At the Poli market in Qingdao, the collision of old and new carries deeper cultural weight.

Around Xiao Changquan's stall, several young people hold up phones, filming his hands as he weaves sorghum straw into delicate mats, a provincial intangible cultural heritage.

"I used to worry this craft would die with me," said 75-year-old Xiao." Now I can't keep up with orders."

Five years ago, he sold just 15 mats a year. Today, thanks to offline sales and online orders from his videos, that number has doubled to around 30. He's even creating small decorative items like key chains and wall hangings to meet young people's demands.

Fang Hongfei, a publicity official from the Poli township government, said, "The survival logic of intangible cultural heritage at rural markets is changing."