Livestream revolution: How a leader turned a poor district into a $196M digital village

When Binh assumed chairmanship of this northern Vietnamese district two years ago, it was a hotspot of disputes and security challenges.

Its 154 traditional craft villages were still struggling with the post-Covid slump, with goods piling up and workshops falling silent due to a lack of business. The 49-year-old toured villages, witnessing intricate handmade products gathering dust. "Inspired by the ‘Taobao villages’ in China, we aim to turn Phu Xuyen into an e-commerce hub," he says.

Le Van Binh answers questions from National Economics University students during their visit to Phu Xuyen Craft Village in November 2024. Photo by VnExpress/Thang Bui

In June 2023 he proposed the "Digital Phu Xuyen" project, centered on livestream sales to turn "every household into an online shop." The idea was met with skepticism and ridicule. Instead of arguing, he phoned two friends who were digital transformation experts and asked them to come to Phu Xuyen one weekend to teach its people how to sell online free of charge. The first e-commerce class that same month had only a dozen reluctant participants, mostly officials sent to fill seats. Faces were tense, arms were folded and some attendees fiddled with their phones.

Binh led by example, hosting a livestream for a carpentry workshop. He set up the camera, arranged the scene, dusted the products, and told the carpenter: "Just speak like you do when working. No need for fancy words." He monitored the phone throughout, signaling for the craftsman to speak louder when needed. After the livestream ended, he spent hours replying to every comment and quoting prices on the district’s Facebook page until 1 a.m.

Word spread quickly, and the next class drew more people, some asking questions. Starting with one household, then two, the initiative soon spread to the entire village and eventually the whole district.

In Tan Dan Commune, carpenters in their 50s and 60s learned to edit videos on CapCut, and a once-shy shoemaker began confidently livestreaming his work. One veteran artisan, Nguyen Van Thuc, who had been inlaying mother-of-pearl for over 30 years and had long suffered wholesalers demanding very low prices, initially dismissed the program. "Craftsmen should stick to their work," he had said. "Learning this is a waste of time."

He and his wife showed up merely to mark their presence, sometimes even sending someone else in their place. But after seeing neighbors succeed, they tried livestreaming at home, attracting few viewers at first.

A livestreaming session of the people of Phu Xuyen District. Photo from Phu Xuyen District's Facebook page

With Binh helping them with presentation, filming, photography, and writing sales posts, they grew more confident. When they began livestreaming they did not get a single viewer for two to three hours before eventually receiving their first order. But soon they started selling as many as a dozen items on some days. "From a craftsman who only knew how to carve, my wife and I have now mastered online sales, and our finances are becoming increasingly stable," Thuc says.

Former district economic office head Le Tien Xuan says the change is unprecedented. Peanut candy workshops in Hoang Long Commune that once struggled to clear stock by Lunar New Year’s Eve have, for the past two years, sold out a week earlier, allowing workers to start their holidays early. "That was something no one had dared to dream of," Xuan says.

Beginning with only a few attendees in each class, training classes at the district and commune offices soon became packed. Binh intensified his efforts. Seeing demand for livestream equipment, he provided each commune with a shared professional set, with booking schedules filled weeks in advance. He partnered with universities to bring hundreds of student interns to the villages, sparking viral marketing campaigns.

Tax data shows annual revenues surged from VND147 billion in 2023 to over VND1 trillion in 2024. In the first half of 2025 they rose to nearly VND5 trillion, with many households increasing sales by five to 10 times.

"The whole district feels like a giant construction site," Xuan says. "The sound of tape sealing packages has replaced sighs, and trucks arrive at midnight to collect goods."

The transformation extended beyond e-commerce. All electricity bills are now paid online, pensions and benefits are transferred directly to bank accounts, and abandoned plots are being redeveloped into high-tech industrial parks attracting more than $400 million in foreign investment. "Some suggest focusing on one area at a time, but I believe digital government, digital economy and digital society must progress together," Binh says. "Without online payment options, e-commerce cannot thrive."

In July 2025, even after being appointed Phuong Duc Commune’s Party secretary and people’s council chairman, he manages Phu Xuyen’s Facebook page with 185,000 members and YouTube channel with 111,000 subscribers.

"Titles may change, but serving the people remains the same," he says. "A leader’s duty is to keep the heart, inspire others and help the community grow."