As the chrysanthemums blossom, so does Liu Youjuan’s business, an undertaking whose seeds had not even been planted four years ago.
The soil in which those seeds eventually found root was e-commerce. In the past few years it has turned millions of Chinese who previously lacked business experience into successful entrepreneurs.
Ms Liu, 39, has been growing and selling golden chrysanthemums in Fugang village of Tiemengang township in Macheng of Hubei province since 2015.
“E-commerce is an incredibly cost-effective way of running a business,” Ms Liu said. “It has increased my income by enabling me to sell chrysanthemum products nationwide with little travel.”
Millions of other e-commerce businesses throughout China are reaping the rewards of a model that links buyers and sellers directly, with billions of transactions and oceans of money each year.