Southwest China's Sichuan province has some of the country's poorest regions and it's at the heart of a poverty-reduction drive. At the same time, another story unfolding because the province is also at the forefront of a technological revolution. Tao Yuan reports.

TAO YUAN CHENGDU, SICHUAN PROVINCE "There it is - I'm trying to get its attention, I think it's spotted me, among hundreds of shoppers at this mall. It's moving towards me, and it's talking to me and I think it's trying to sell me this bottle of water. I say yes, I pay, and I scan this QR code and pay. Here it is."

This is Fanbot - a salesman on wheels. With its multiple cameras and ultrasound sensors, it can choose its target customers and promote age-and-gender-specific products. Across China, it's already being used in scores of libraries, shopping malls, and apartment complexes.

But it was born here in Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan Province. The brain behind the technology, Huang Shan - A Ph.D. student at a local university, and CEO of a tech company.

HUANG SHAN, CEO EVENTECH "It does repetitive, low-efficiency work for humans, allowing humans to engage in more complex tasks. It can assume many roles as long as they require the exchange of goods or information."

Huang Shan's company is part of a wave of tech start-ups that have sprung up in Sichuan. An unlikely place - a basin hemmed in on all sides by mountains, it's home to some of China's poorest regions. The provincial capital Chengdu might be modern and liveable. Still, innovation just wasn't part of the fabric here. Huang Shan says even five years ago, she didn't dream of running a tech business.

HUANG SHAN, CEO EVENTECH "Back then, there was little support from the government for technology entrepreneurship. And the industry chain just wasn't there for a company like ours which involves both hardware and software. If you can't find upstream and downstream industries to do the manufacturing, processing or testing, then it severely affects your efficiency and likelihood for success."

Professor Chen Guang of Southwest Jiaotong University is one of a team of experts who pushed for innovation to be integrated into Sichuan's development plan.

CHEN GUANG, DEAN SCHOOL OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION, SOUTHWEST JIAOTONG UNIV. "Traditional drivers of growth, such as the demographic dividend, manufacturing, or even investment, are losing steam. If you look at the economic development of human society, there are three stages - production-driven, investment-driven and innovation-driven. So that's a trend."

So now, startups like Huang Shan's company are receiving favorable government deals and subsidies. Economic and hi-tech zones are being mapped out in Chengdu and beyond.

CHEN GUANG, DEAN SCHOOL OF PUBLIC ADMINISTRATION, SOUTHWEST JIAOTONG UNIV. "We are still in the middle of reform. We are feeling the change, we are feeling the impact of an economic slowdown, and the global environment is changing, too. We are facing many uncertainties. That's why 'high-quality growth' is needed in every city in China."

Huang Shan has big plans for her company. She says the game is on for Sichuan, and she's not going to be left behind.