Former flight attendant causes a stir by growing pomegranates in remote Sichuan region – RADII

A 29-year-old former flight attendant named He Shuang has gone viral for growing pomegranates. She is from Huili Town 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 open a fruit shop. Although she had received some media coverage before, she recently went viral. Posts about her story on Weibo have been viewed more than 66 million times in the past two days.

Liangshan's remoteness is one reason why He's journey is more inspiring than the usual “follow your dreams” story. Despite recent improvements, the mountainous region was historically known for its underdeveloped economy and lack of transportation links.

Born in 1995, He Shuang is one of the many millennials and Gen Z members from Liangshan who have left the prefecture for warmer climes. Eight years ago, she became a flight attendant, a job she had wanted since she was a child, but quit after just half a year and returned to Huili to open her own pomegranate business, making her one of the few people in her hometown to have given up a paying job in a big city and returned.

Located in the south of Liangshan, right on the border with Yunnan Province, Huili is famous for its pomegranates. In just a few years, He has managed to grow her business to the point where she sells pomegranates all over China. When asked about her motivations, she said that despite all the hardships and the tan she gets from working in the sun, this is the life she really wants to lead.

He Shuang's story highlights the complex choices facing young people in China's less developed areas. Leaving your hometown to seek opportunities in a big city used to be an obvious choice for those seeking success and a higher quality of life. But this is slowly starting to change as unemployment and the cost of living in big cities rise. He Shuang's success is the latest news to suggest an alternative path and raise questions about how young people define success.

Banner image about Hongxing Xinwen.