Ethnic vloggers popularize highs and lows of rural life

Home on the range

In 1995, Uyinga left her home on the grassland to study at the Inner Mongolia University of Finance and Economics in the regional capital, Hohhot. After graduating with a bachelor's degree in land resource management, she immediately decided to return home as she believed the vast grassland has more opportunities to offer than big cities.

"I was born on the grassland, and I have a free spirit. And the infrastructure such as roads and telecommunication on the grassland has been significantly improved, so it can be just as convenient to start businesses at my home," Uyinga said.

Following the recommendation of a career adviser on e-commerce, she started to post videos about the life of herdsmen on social media in January 2018.

"There wasn't any influencer posting about the life of herdsmen in Inner Mongolia back then. And my first goal was to clear up people's misunderstandings about herdsmen," she said.

Like many people from the region, Uyinga is often asked if locals ride horses to school and work.

"Many people aren't familiar with life and culture on the grassland. In fact, the herdsmen's life on the grassland has also been improved and modernized. At the same time, we have kept our traditions alive," she said.

Besides enjoying the stunning sunrises and sunsets in the short videos posted by Uyinga, people are particularly interested in how her family prepares traditional Mongolian food, such as dairy products, milk tea and boiled meat.

One of Uyinga's videos that went viral features her family storing meat for a harsh winter ahead. It has received more than 9 million views on social media platforms.

"I've never imagined people can be so interested in our normal routines. It has made me more determined to promote our rich culture and heritage," Uyinga said.

She now has more than 1.18 million followers on the short video platform Douyin, but she said she doesn't like to be called an influencer. "I am simply a recorder of the grassland and the lifestyle of the herdsmen," she said.