A decades-old printing industry in Wenzhou City, east China's Zhejiang Province, is undergoing a quiet but striking transformation and bringing new opportunities for the local cultural economy.
Once known mainly as the "Printing City of China", Longgang, a county-level city in Wenzhou is now leveraging its mature supply chain to expand into the fast-growing fields of trendy toys and digital cultural creation.
"The equipment you see behind me was originally used to make packaging and accessories for alcoholic beverages. Now, we've smoothly transitioned to using it to produce accessories for trendy toys," said Zhou Miaomiao, manager of a local arts and crafts company.
Driven by "China chic" culture and rising emotional consumption across the country, young buyers are increasingly paying for design, storytelling and collectible value, not just functionality. That change is reconnecting traditional manufacturing strengths of Longgng with the new cultural economy.
A leading trendy toy brand founded by a Longgang entrepreneur illustrates the model.
"For my next order, I could deliver it in about seven days if I produce it in Longgang. Usually, it would take around a month in our previous base in the Pearl River Delta area. I can also save around 40 to 50 percent on production costs here," said Chen Minqu, chairman of Zhejiang Qijing Magic Cube Animation Company.
Headquartered in Zhejiang's Hangzhou, Chen's company operates stores in major shopping districts across China.
His decision to build a production base back in Longgang is driven by the city's supply-chain strengths of design, printing, laminating, die-cutting and packaging, which greatly shortens the distance between creativity and manufacturing.
The return of flagship brands is also pushing local printing and packaging firms to upgrade.
Instead of remaining pure processors for others, many are developing their own cultural and creative brands, moving up the value chain from manufacturing to IP-driven product design.
Local authorities have also backed the transition with targeted policies. Today, more than 1,000 cultural and creative companies operate in Longgang. In the first half of this year alone, the sector generated 2.4 billion yuan in output, showing how an old industrial town is turning printing precision into cultural appeal.
From printing hub to cultural hub, China's Longgang fuels creative growth with trendy toys
An age-old feather duster craft in north China's Hebei Province has found new life online, as livestreaming turns a village tradition into a source of income for elderly residents. In Luan'nan County, Tangshan City, Liu Wenhao, Party secretary of Zhangmawan Village, is promoting the village's handmade feather dusters alongside fellow villagers in livestreams. Since 2024, he has led villagers in bringing the traditional craft online, quickly turning it into an internet sensation.
Elderly villagers now craft dusters while also serving as online hosts, participating in livestreams and welcoming tourists. Liu Huiying is one of them.
"This is no small income. I earn about 20,000 yuan (about 2,981 U.S. dollars) a year, which is more than enough. They call me an internet celebrity. I'm happy," she said.
The feather duster craft has a long history in Zhangmawan. Once a sideline for villagers during the agricultural off-season, craftsmen worked from dawn to dusk only to sell a single duster for 0.3 to 0.5 yuan. Sales were slightly better at rural fairs, but earnings were barely enough to make a living. As modern cleaning products diversified, traditional feather dusters gradually faded from daily life.
In recent years, with the rise of short-video platforms, several young people in the village began experimenting with short videos. Their first video showing the making of a feather duster garnered more than 600,000 views.
"Our village's traditional craft was well-known throughout the region. So we thought, with so many people here skilled at making feather dusters, why not sell them online and help boost their incomes?" said Liu.
Zhangmawan has more than 200 residents over the age of 60. To boost their incomes and pass on the craft, product transformation was key. Young villagers pooled their ideas and decided to enter the cultural and creative market.
While veteran artisans persisted in handmade production, younger people focused on innovative designs, launching new items such as car hangings, bag charms, desktop ornaments and cat teasers, tailored to modern aesthetics and lifestyles.
Online popularity has also boosted offline tourism. The village has leveraged its advantages to offer craft workshops, rural sightseeing, farm meals and educational study tours, attracting a large number of visitors and children.
"You can hang it on a schoolbag or car keys -- it can go in many places. And if something gets dirty, you can use it to sweep," said Meng Shixuan, a young visitor.
"We want to keep updating our cultural and creative feather duster products, and through short videos and livestreaming, develop the village's study tour and sightseeing businesses to provide more jobs and income opportunities," Liu said.
Chinese village turns traditional feather duster craft into online hit
