China's Hunt for Growth In the Countryside

摘要

Tuguan village in remote Yunnan province feels about as far from the turbulence of modern China as you can get. A one-lane, bumpy dirt road runs through it, past whitewashed farmhouses, most with a painting of flowers and bamboo on the outside wall and traditional sweeping rooftop eaves. Tuguan is home to some 170 families of the Bai ethnic minority, who grow table grapes and tamarinds. During steamy afternoons, most residents loll in the shade or nap in their house to escape the heat. But on a hot day in June, one spot in Tuguan is bustling. At the local convenience store, a dozen sun-tanned villagers are clustered around a new Lenovo computer and wall-mounted flatscreen Skyworth monitor, checking out the latest online deals on mobile phones, toothpaste, pesticide dispensers, and more, all for sale on Alibaba Group's new rural e-commerce platform.