China Fashion Week highlights eco-friendly materials, technology

The ongoing China Fashion Week held in Beijing is showcasing a slew of fashion works made with eco-friendly materials and technologies, with designers racing to present the country's intangible cultural heritages in fashion making through innovation.

At the 2025 edition of China Fashion Week, which opened on March 20 and which will run until Friday, designers showcased their works, modeled after ancient crafts such as ethnic minority Miao embroidery, batik, and lacquer painting.

As the show increasingly pursues rising trends like eco-friendliness and technology, fashion industry insiders are also actively integrating traditional Chinese designs with innovation and the notion of sustainable development.

A session of the fashion week held Tuesday showcased works of Yang Chunshan, who takes inspiration from the dragon, bird, and butterfly patterns of the Miao ethnic minority group's Bainiaoyi, a national intangible cultural heritage in China, and the images of Xing Shi, or literally the awakening lion.   

The designers have also incorporated the idea of environmental protection and sustainable development into dyeing, using natural dyes from fruits like apple, pitaya, and mulberry instead of chemical dyes.

Xie Fangming, vice chairman of China Fashion Association, said the designers at the fashion week have been making innovations in areas like materials and dyeing techniques, reflecting the rising trend of promoting the development of fashion industry with state-of-the-art technology and embracing eco-friendliness.

"We've adopted a great number of technologies, including using new materials like soft, glossy, and more lightweight fabrics to develop new products. In addition, we've made lots of efforts to pursue sustainable development, like using recycled materials, recyclable materials, and plant-based dyes," he said.

The fashion week also features robot models sharing the runway with their human counterparts and also robot dogs running in lion dance costumes.

China Fashion Week highlights eco-friendly materials, technology

China has made full preparations for the upcoming autumn grain procurement as the summer procurement approaches its end, according to the National Food and Strategic Reserves Administration.

For now, the country's total amount of wheat procurement has exceeded 100 million tons.

To protect grain farmers' interests, the government has promptly activated the minimum purchase price program for wheat. Sinograin has opened 164 purchasing sites across two major producing provinces of Henan and Anhui, offering to buy wheat at prices supported by the policy without any volume cap.

"The payment for my grain came through quickly today, and I feel much more at ease now that the minimum purchase price policy has been put into effect," said Hou Erwei, a local farmer.

As the autumn grain crop gradually ripens across the coutry, the autumn grain purchasing season is about to begin, expected to run from late September through the end of April next year.

The Autumn season accounts for approximately three-quarters of the country’s total annual grain purchases, making it the most significant grain procurement and storage period of the year.

This year, grain dryers and smart grain-handling equipment have been included into subsidy, helping ensure that the autumn harvest can be purchased, stored, and transported smoothly.

"At present, grain storage capacity, purchasing funds, personnel, equipment, and other resources are all in place. It is expected that grain purchases during this year's peak autumn harvest season will reach approximately 350 million tons. We will strengthen market monitoring and information dissemination, as well as make effective use of the drying and other services provided by post-harvest grain service centers to help farmers reduce losses and increase their incomes," said Luo Shouquan, director of Grain Reserves Department, National Food and Strategic Reserves Administration.

China ready for autumn grain procurement as summer purchase draws to close