Shiliuyun-Xinjiang Daily (Reporter Zhao Mei) news: On May 14, 2025, at a farmhouse in the Grape Valley scenic area at the foot of the Flaming Mountains in Turpan City, northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, 56-year-old Omar Rexit sat under the grape trellis, introducing the tomatoes via livestreaming: “Friends, today I’m going to show you our Turpan tomatoes.”

Photo taken on May 14, 2025 shows Omar promotes tomatoes from his hometown via livestreaming. (Photo by Shiliuyun-Xinjiang Daily/ Zhao Mei)

In the livestreaming room, many people were interacting with him.

Omar looked at the comments streaming across the screen, picked up a tomato from the plate, and split it open in front of the camera to show everyone: “We always speak the truth. You can see for yourselves!” After speaking, he took a bite of the tomato and said, “Thin skin, thick flesh, and plenty of juice!”

Photo taken on May 14, 2025 shows Omar's livestreaming room at his own courtyard in the Grape Valley scenic area in Turpan City, northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (Photo by Shiliuyun-Xinjiang Daily/ Zhao Mei)

Unexpectedly becoming an online celebrity

Four years ago, Omar Rexit was still a grape grower who toiled in the fields with a hoe on his shoulder. In the summer of 2021, due to special circumstances, merchants and tourists were unable to go to the scenic area, and the grapes were unsold. As he was worrying about this, his son, Obaidula Omar, who had been running an e-commerce company for two years, suggested to him, "Dad, now people in the city like to buy things through videos and livestreamings. Why don't you give it a try?" Omar hesitated, "I'm just a farmer. Can I really do this?" But thinking of the grapes that couldn't be sold, he eventually stood in front of the camera.

The first time he recorded a video, Omar Rexit was so nervous that his palms were sweating, and he could hardly speak coherently. His son kept encouraging him from the side: “Dad, don't be nervous. Just relax. Pretend you're chatting with a neighbor!” Under his son's guidance, Omar completed his first video recording: “Hello everyone, I'm Omar Rexit. I'll be sharing delicious food, beautiful scenery, and local customs. I'll take you on a virtual tour of Xinjiang.” Gradually, he found the knack: “There's no need to think about how to use fancy language to sell products. Just introduce them in the most real way.”

Photo taken on May 14, 2025 shows Omar and his daughter-in-law promote tomatoes from their hometown via livestreaming. (Photo by Shiliuyun-Xinjiang Daily/ Zhao Mei)

The advantage of their live streaming is authenticity

Omar Rexit's videos and livestreaming quickly won the recognition of his fans precisely because of his authenticity.

“I don't know any marketing tricks, but I know that the biggest advantage farmers have is authenticity,” he admitted. Netizens' comments also evolved from the initial “He is so nervous” to “I love watching his videos, they're so real!”

Entering Omar Rexit's livestreaming room, you won't find any elaborate backdrops or exaggerated performances. Instead, you'll see a natural portrayal of daily life and his warm, cheerful laughter. "When we sell grapes online, we not only take people into the fields to understand the growing environment of the grapes and witness the harvesting and packaging processes, but also share knowledge about the varieties and sweetness of Turpan grapes," he said. In addition to livestreaming sales, he often collaborates with his daughter-in-law to showcase local cuisine or wanders through the streets and alleys to introduce the local customs and culture of Grape Valley.

With his simple, humorous, and authentic style, Omar Rexit's account "Uncle Omar" on platforms like Douyin (Chinese version of Tiktok) and Kuaishou (Chinese version of Kwai) has seen its followers soar from just a few dozen to over three million. His daily order volume has also skyrocketed from just a few orders per day to a peak of over 5,000 orders in a single day.

Photo shows the agricultural products that Omar promotes are shipped to various parts of China through the Oubai E-commerce Co., Ltd. in Turpan, northwest China’s Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. (Photo by Shiliuyun-Xinjiang Daily/ Zhao Mei)

Promote the agricultural products of his hometown to get better life

As his follower base grew, the sales of raisins and Hami melons from Omar's farm multiplied several times, and he also took the initiative to help neighboring farmers sell their products. Adil Abulke, a grape grower in Grape Valley, remarked, "In the past, we had to wait for merchants to come and buy our fresh and dried fruits, which were sold at low and unstable prices. Now, with Omar's help in promoting our products, they are sold directly to various parts of China. Not only have the prices increased, but the sales volume has also gone up." Inspired by him, many local farmers have begun to try making videos and live streaming.

"Currently, the number of people trained indirectly by the company to engage in self-media has reached over 200, and the number of people whose employment has been indirectly boosted is between 400 and 500," said Obaidula Omar, general manager of Oubai E-commerce Co., Ltd. in Turpan City. He added that the company's team consists of 60 people, including 12 internet celebrities, with his father Omar Rexit being one of the most popular influencers in terms of follower count.

Photo taken on May 14, 2025 shows Omar promotes local Hami melons on his Douyin account. (Photo by Shiliuyun-Xinjiang Daily/ Zhao Mei)

In addition to agricultural products, Omar Rexit often showcases the beautiful scenery, delicious food, and folk culture of the Grape Valley scenic area to attract tourists. “A few days ago, a man from China’s Liaoning Province even drove here to find me, saying that they had come to Turpan specifically after watching my livestreaming.”

Nowadays, Omar Rexit still introduces the products every day under the grape trellises. “My home is in here, which is a popular tourist destination. I want to attract more friends to visit my hometown through videos and livestreaming. I also want to share the local specialties, customs, and beautiful scenery and food of my hometown with more friends via videos and livestreaming.” Omar said.

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