Ding Kelun, 42, traveled from Guizhou province to Cheng'an county in Handan, Hebei province, in late June to pick up his newly bought truck, a purchase he credits to a livestream by top seller Wu Ranran.

His trip reflects a broader shift underway in Cheng'an, where the county has spent the past year and a half promoting a "one product, one livestream" model that has pulled 107 industrial enterprises, ranging from truck manufacturers to fastener producers, onto livestreaming platforms, turning heavy industrial sales into a direct-to-consumer business.

Ding said he first learned of Handan Bo'ang Special Vehicle Manufacturing through Wu's Douyin account, where he picked up not only product details but also, he said, "how to reduce costs and increase profit". The two connected on WeChat to discuss specifics, and Ding drove about 20 hours to the company in April to check whether the truck was really as good as Wu had described. He closed the deal on June 28 for 400,000 yuan ($58,881).