Shang Yukang, 24, is a chicken farmer as well as an internet celebrity in China who has nearly 500,000 followers on Kuaishou, a video-sharing platform. He has been given the nickname "chicken commander" because of his army of chicken "soldiers" who obey his commands as well as perform and livestream with him, bringing lots of benefits to him and villagers.

Shang was born in Baimasi village in Cheng County in the northwestern Chinese province of Gansu. Opportunities there were scant and most young people migrated in search of work. This left the village with only about 100 elderly people and children. 

Like many others, after turning 17, Shang, who grew up with his grandparents, left his hometown. He did odd jobs for two years as a cook, driver and factory worker as he drifted from one big city to another. However, the wandering life made him feel lonely.

In 2015, inspired by a TV program on agriculture, Shang decided to return home with his savings of 40,000 yuan (about $5,900) to start a Houdan chicken farm. The Houdan is a breed of chicken native to France that is known for its delicious and tender meat after cooking.

Shang's decision met strong opposition from his grandparents who believed it was a risky endeavor as their grandchild had no experience in raising chickens. His grandfather thought he should learn a craft and continue to work outside the area and earn more money.

But Shang was determined. He searched for information about raising chickens online and also consulted experienced farmers. Gradually, he mastered the techniques and gained a tiny profit from selling chickens. But if he was to increase his earnings, he had to find ways of taking his business outside the remote village.

Shang often watched short videos on Kuaishou during his spare time. He saw many people share videos about their rural lives on the platform. He thought he could do the same.

One day in 2017, Shang tried to make his chickens line up in the shape of a heart by laying rice strategically on the ground. He recorded this process and uploaded it online. The short video quickly went viral and gained over one million views within two days.

From then on, Shang would record short videos from time to time and post them online. He made chickens form various shapes including auspicious Chinese characters. People loved his creations and began requesting customized formations. As his fame increased, so did sales of his chickens.

In March, Shang made an image of a doctor wearing a mask with 4,000 chickens, to pay tribute to doctors who were fighting against COVID-19 on the front line.

With local government's help, he has established a chicken breeding cooperative. He distributes baby Houdan chicks to poor villagers for breeding and then buys mature chickens at a higher price to help them get out of poverty.

"I hope that more young people can believe that even if they stay in their hometown, they can have a good business and earn money so that the children in the village can also have a warm home and grow up in the company of their parents," Shang said.