Isolated community surfs the web to net new customers and profits

The introduction of e-commerce is helping to raise the living standards of poor families living on the edge of the Taklimakan Desert. Mao Weihua and Peng Yining report from Aksupa, the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region.

Editor 's note: This is the third in a series of special reports China Daily will publish in the coming weeks focusing on efforts to eradicate poverty and raise living standards in the country's rural areas, especially among members of the nation's ethnic groups.

The journey begins at Aksupa village, an ancient Silk Road outpost in the Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, and ends four days later in Beijing and other major cities, where long-lasting flatbreads baked in the village are sent to customers by air.