Internet influencers promote bamboo shoots from Hengjie town, Ningbo's Haishu district via livestreams. [Photo/zj.zjol.com.cn]

A number of internet influencers were recently invited to promote bamboo shoots from Hengjie town, Ningbo's Haishu district via livestreams.

The move came after the approach proved effective in helping local farmers sell their produce last year.

The sales of bamboo shoots in Hengjie experienced a slump in March last year as visitors shrank sharply after the outbreak of the COVID-19 epidemic.

To tackle the problem, local authorities tried to explore opportunities online and achieved an unexpected success.

More than 2,500 kilograms of bamboo shoots were sold via livestreams last year, recalled Wang Bin, Party chief of Dalei village in Hengjie town.

Wang said that the output of bamboo shoots in the village is expected to rise to 1.5 million kilograms this year and they plan to continue adopting the model featuring online sales and offline distribution.

The invited live-streamers helped Wang Guoren, a 65-year-old villager from Dalei village, sell all 100 kilograms of bamboo shoots dug out by the farmer in a day.

The traffic congestion in the village has also been alleviated, as villagers don't have to erect stalls along the main road to sell bamboo shoots, Wang said.

In addition to the livestreams, a series of activities including a food fiesta and exhibitions showcasing bamboo weaving handicrafts were also staged in Hengjie to draw visitors.