Micro-dramas boost rural sales in E China's Shandong

Two old houses along a village road in Beiliangjiazhuang village, Zhuhai subdistrict, West Coast New Area in Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province, have become an unlikely film set.

In the courtyard, director Ding Zhaoting crouched down, phone in hand. "Auntie, give us a big smile — just like when you're saying hello to the neighbors!" In front of the camera, an actress in plain, worn clothes held up a bundle of starch noodles, ready to step through the gate.

"I've worked the land my whole life. I never imagined I'd be acting in a short drama at my age," said Zhao Meixia, the villager playing the auntie.

A villager packs starch noodles in Beiliangjiazhuang village, Zhuhai subdistrict, West Coast New Area in Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province. (Photo/Dazhong News)

"The starch noodles in the actress' hands and the corn hanging on the walls are all local specialties from Beiliangjiazhuang," said Ding. By weaving these products into the storyline, the micro-drama has sparked strong interest among viewers eager to buy.

Ding, who hails from Dacun town in West Coast New Area and has extensive experience in social media content creation, spotted the rising tide of micro-dramas in 2025 and saw an opportunity to promote his hometown. The timing proved fortuitous: Zhang Wei, Party secretary of Beiliangjiazhuang village, was looking for ways to expand online sales channels for local agricultural products.

"We got together last summer and immediately saw eye to eye," Zhang recalled. The village provided shooting locations free of charge and cast members were recruited from among the villagers.

With most residents having no acting experience and little time to spare, the cast had to learn on the job.

Ding's drama premiered in September 2025 and racked up 270 million views in just over a month.

The traffic translated into real income. From September to December, the village brought in an additional 500,000 yuan ($72,490). "We also set up a starch noodle processing plant and have already secured 50,000 yuan in orders," Zhang said.

The model is now spreading to other villages across West Coast New Area. Zhao Fang, director of the area's film and television industry development center, said policies have been introduced to harness micro-dramas as a tool for rural revitalization, strengthening links between agricultural production and sales while promoting rural tourism.