Traditional Chinese costume sector burgeons in Heze's county

In Caoxian, a county of Heze city, the traditional Chinese costume industry is experiencing vigorous growth, contributing to increasing local incomes and fostering the region’s rural vitalization.

The latest official data showed that sales of hanfu or traditional Chinese costumes in Caoxian from January to October this year hit 6.37 billion yuan ($892.9 million).

More than 2,000 manufacturers in Caoxian are now involved in the hanfu industry. Its total production accounts for 40 percent of the domestic market share, making the county one of the largest hanfu production centers in China.

The inaugural Caoxian Hanfu Cultural Festival opened on Nov 11, with local government's efforts aimed at raising the profile of the local industry for traditional Chinese costumes.

The month-long event will host a range of forums discussing the development of the traditional Chinese costume sector in the areas of e-commerce, livestreaming, rural vitalization and artificial intelligence.

Overall, the ever-growing popularity of traditional Chinese culture and e-commerce is said to be providing great opportunities for locals to develop their hanfu industry.

With the rise of guochao – where consumers increasingly appreciate local elements – young consumers are more interested in domestic brands and products that incorporate traditional Chinese style and culture.

Caoxian county has seized the opportunity and targeted the production of affordable hanfu, with prices mostly ranging from 100 yuan to 500 yuan, which helped it dominate the mid-to-low-end hanfu market.

Moreover, hanfu businesses in Caoxian are actively expanding overseas markets. Currently, festive costumes are being exported to Europe and America and hanfu outfits are being sold to countries such as South Korea and Japan.

The booming e-commerce economy in the county is also paving the way for the traditional Chinese costume industry. E-commerce has brought villages in Caoxian closer to the market and promoted entrepreneurship and employment in rural areas.

Nowadays, more and more young people have returned to the county to become involved in the e-commerce sector, including college students.

Hanfu online stores in Caoxian are present on all major e-commerce platforms – including Taobao, Tmall, JD, Pinduoduo, Douyin, Kuaishou and Xiaohongshu. According to numbers from the Chinese online discounter Pinduoduo, out of its top 2,000 online hanfu stores, 1,200 are from Caoxian.