Little Man, Big Dreams: Dwarf Fights For Success And Respect

Sitting in front of his smartphone, Zhang Chuanfeng touts dried sweet potatoes to viewers on China's popular video-sharing app Douyin, also known as TikTok.

"These are made from the sweet potatoes I grew myself," said Zhang, as he eats the products in front of the camera. "They are sweet and have an excellent texture."

Zhang might seem like an average businessman reaping success in China's booming livestreaming industry. But his road to success has been a lot bumpier: he suffers from dwarfism.

At a little more than 1.4 meters, Zhang has a baby-face, making him "look like a junior school student," he said. But in reality, the man is already 38, with a 9-year-old son.

Zhang's hometown is located in the township of Tangjiahui in the county of Jinzhai, east China's Anhui Province. Tucked away in the boundless Dabie Mountains, the township has the biggest poor population in the county. Jinzhai is among the last nine counties along the Yangtze River Delta to shake off poverty.

It was Zhang's first time selling things in a live session, but he said he was not nervous at all.

"It felt like talking to people at random," he said.

Zhang said he has switched to live-streaming selling amid the coronavirus epidemic.

"In the past, there were many tourists, and sales were pretty good in reality," he said.

"Pretty good" was an understatement. Last year, the specialties in his shop sold more than 5 million yuan (705,800 U.S. dollars) in revenue, with a profit of 500,000 yuan. Zhang became known as the "Big Brother Selling Local Specialties" in the vicinity.

But the success would have been unimaginable for Zhang six years ago.

Zhang Chuanfeng packs his products in his store in the county of Jinzhai, east China's Anhui Province, April 20, 2020. (Xinhua/Chen Shangying)

With wide varieties and high quality, Zhang's products won public recognition and good word of mouth. Online orders flooded in.

On Zhang's WeChat, he has more than 3,000 friends, many of whom are customers, salespeople and even foreigners.

"I never thought that the specialties of the Dabie Mountains could go beyond the mountains and reach other parts of the world," he said.

Zhang is very attentive to the products he sells.

"At first, I just promoted the products with simple pictures and descriptions," he said. "Then, I would record promotion videos myself and upload them online."

With the money he made, Zhang bought a car and a big house. He often helps locals sell honey, eggs and fish on his WeChat account to lift them out of poverty. So far, he has helped more than 40 families increase their earnings.

Now Zhang is testing waters in live-streaming.

"I will accumulate experience first," he said. "If I am successful, I plan to bring locals along."

During his first broadcasting session, Zhang managed to sell seven products, and the viewers gave him an award of more than 100 yuan.

"The sales were not quite impressive, but I got more than 200 followers online, which made me quite happy," he said.