Northeast China’s Jilin province saw strong growth in e-commerce during the first three months of this year, according to the province’s commerce department.

In the first quarter, Jilin earned 179.5 billion yuan ($26.66 billion) from e-commerce, a year-on-year increase of 30.1 percent, 19 percent higher than the nation’s overall growth rate.

Online retail sales in rural areas reported earnings of 4.91 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 23.8 percent, and e-commerce exports during the period were valued at 420 million yuan, a growth of 35 percent.

The province is now home to 148 e-commerce demonstration centers and enterprises, as well as 18 demonstration counties.

It also has 40 e-commerce towns and 400 e-commerce villages, with 1.5 million people engaged in online business. This has greatly boosted economic development in Jilin province and helped with poverty alleviation in remote areas.

Workers package pancakes at a plant in Longquan village, Mingyue town, Antu county, Jilin province, on March 20. The plant, which employs nearly 30 impoverished villagers, can produce 800 kilograms of pancakes per day. The pancakes are sold online to Beijing, Shanghai, Chongqing, and other cities across the country. [Photo/IC]

Workers showcase pancakes they made. The pancakes have helped many local villagers in Longquan village, Antu county, Jilin province out of poverty. [Photo/IC]