They poured their focus into e-commerce and non-intangible heritage products, developed industry patterns integrating Internet Plus with traditional handicrafts, and created more job opportunities for rural people.

Thanks to the efforts, the number of poverty-affected villages in Linyi has fallen from 992 to 568, providing a better livelihood for some 450,000 people.

Village people make Chinese knots in a workshop of an e-commerce business in Honghua town of Linyi city, Shandong province. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]