Ethnic vloggers popularize highs and lows of rural life
Videos about herdsmen, nomads attract growing number of city followers
Uyinga has been sharing videos about the daily life of her family living on grassland in the Inner Mongolia autonomous region on social media for the past six years. Besides learning about herdsmen's daily routines such as grazing livestock and cooking traditional Mongolian food through the videos, viewers can observe the stunning scenery of the grassland while listening to the sound of the wind blowing.
"I don't have any scripts. I just record the herdsmen's normal life on the grassland in Xi Ujimchin Banner. And I think that's the reason why people like them," Uyinga, from the Mongolian ethnic group, said.
In her latest videos, her family is seen busily cutting grass in September that had started to turn yellow, and then storing it to feed livestock in the winter.
"As you can see, the grassland isn't always green. Its beauty varies in different seasons," the 29-year-old says in the video. "And we must get certain things done before winter comes, such as cutting the grass. As herdsmen, we have learned to respect nature and follow the rules of the grassland."
Uyinga said she hopes the videos she has posted on social media can help more people gain insights into the life of herdsmen and bring members of different ethnic groups closer. She's also glad to see that more young women from the Inner Mongolia, Xizang and Xinjiang Uygur autonomous regions have started to share their stories about the beautiful pastures on social media. Their simple but colorful lifestyles have become increasingly popular in recent years with many people yearning to escape the grind of life in the country's major cities, she said.