A 29-year-old former flight attendant named He Shuang has gone viral — for growing pomegranates. Hailing from the small city of Huili in Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture at the southern tip of Sichuan province, seven years ago He quit her job and returned to her hometown to start a fruit business. Though she has previously received some media coverage, she recently went viral, with posts related to her story on Weibo having received more than 66 million views over the past two days.
Liangshan’s remoteness is part of what makes He’s journey more inspiring than your average “follow your dreams” story. In spite of recent improvements, the mountainous region has historically been known for its underdeveloped economy and a lack of transportation links.
Born in 1995, He Shuang is one of the many millennials and Gen Zs from Liangshan who have left the prefecture for greener pastures. Eight years ago, she became a flight attendant, a job that she had wanted since she was a kid, but quit after only half a year and returned back to Huili to start her own pomegranate business. This made her one of the few people in her hometown to have quit a paying job in a big city and return.
Situated in the south of Liangshan right along the border with Yunnan province, Huili is in fact known for its pomegranates. In just a few years, He has managed to build up her business to the point of selling pomegranates all over China. When asked about her motivations, she stated that in spite of all the toil and getting tanned working under the sun, this is the life that she really wants.
The story of He Shuang highlights the complex choices faced by young people in China’s less developed areas. Leaving one’s hometown for opportunities in major cities used to be an obvious choice for those that sought success and a higher quality of life. However, this is slowly beginning to change as unemployment levels and the cost of living rise in major cities. He Shuang’s success is the latest news story to suggest an alternative path and raise questions about how young people may define success.
Banner image via Hongxing Xinwen.
