The land shapes its people, and the land nurtures its industries. A city without industries is nothing more than a “ghost town.”

Not long ago, Cao County’s rise to prominence was precisely the result of this: supported by industrial clusters such as Hanfu and funeral goods, it leveraged these sectors to drive local economic growth. There are many other places where such niche industries have become the sole standout feature. Let’s take a look at the success stories of these small towns’ industrial development, so that we may learn from one another as we advance local industrial growth.

The Home of Eastern Violins—Huangqiao, Taixing

When you hear “Huangqiao,” you might picture quaint, old-fashioned streets and alleys. In reality, however, the world’s largest violin production base is located in Huangqiao Town. It is reported that the town is home to over 200 manufacturers of violins, guitars, pianos, and other instruments, including more than 40 enterprises above a certain scale. Annual production exceeds 700,000 violins and 1 million other musical instruments, accounting for over 70% of China’s total violin output and more than 30% of the global market share, making it the world’s largest violin industry cluster.Over the past 50 years , Huangqiao Town has elevated the violin industry from low-end to high-end, expanding from domestic to international markets. How exactly did the violin industry here rise to prominence? First, the local geographical location is exceptionally advantageous. Historically known as a waterway hub, the town boasts well-connected transportation networks and is situated close to the major cities of Nanjing and Shanghai, making it convenient to distribute products both domestically and abroad. Second, the town maintains an open mindset toward attracting investment. The government has implemented high-level planning and substantial investment in the violin industry, adhering to an integrated approach that combines industrial development with urban and industrial park planning. By extending the musical instrument supply chain upstream and downstream, it has fully leveraged the agglomeration effects of its status as the “Violin Capital of China.” Third, the local government has established research collaborations with relevant domestic research institutes and enterprises. This has resulted in 56 new utility patents for musical instruments such as violins and guitars, laying a solid foundation for the violin industry to implement standardized production and expand into international markets.

The Hub of Nucleic Acid Technology—Kunshan, Suzhou

In 2008, when the Kunshan High-Tech Zone proclaimed, “For nucleic acids, come to Kunshan,” no one could have imagined that more than a decade later, this slogan would become a “barometer” for the global development of the small nucleic acid sector.

As a key hub within Suzhou’s strategic biomedical industry cluster, Kunshan’s small nucleic acid and biomedical industries have, after more than a decade of strategic planning, completed their “zero-to-one” development, forming an industrial landscape where the small nucleic acid sector leads the way, with innovative drugs, medical devices, and biomaterials developing in tandem. Let us now look back at the journey of Kunshan’s small nucleic acid industry—from a single sapling to a thriving forest.In fact, Kunshan’s journey of creating nucleic acid innovation “out of nothing” is particularly worthy of reflection. It can be said that the establishment of industrialization platforms is key to fostering the small nucleic acid industry. In 2008, the Kunshan government funded the establishment of the Small Nucleic Acid Biotechnology Research Institute under the Kunshan High-Tech Zone Industrial Technology Research Institute as an incubation platform . That same year, a public technology platform for small nucleic acid industry development was further established, attracting most domestic small nucleic acid enterprises and a group of related companies along the industrial chain to cluster here . Furthermore, the city proposed the motto “Unite Strengths for Innovation and Breakthroughs,” striving for new breakthroughs in innovation.For instance, in terms of industrial cultivation, the goal is to meticulously develop one or two high-end industries; regarding policy breakthroughs, the city aims to fully leverage its geographical proximity to Shanghai and its advantages in cross-strait relations to deepen the development of the Kunshan Cross-Strait Industrial Cooperation Pilot Zone. Naturally, Kunshan must also increase support for enterprises with the strongest potential and foundations, helping them overcome key technological challenges, establish independent brands, set industry standards, and secure a dominant position in relevant fields to build a leading advantage.

The City of Swimwear Manufacturing—Xingcheng, Huludao

According to statistics, one out of every five swimsuits produced globally comes from Xingcheng, Huludao City, Liaoning Province. Since the 1980s, Xingcheng swimwear has been renowned nationwide for its early days of “operating sewing machines while peddling goods from a basket.” Yet the first generation of swimwear producers could never have imagined that the Huludao swimwear industry they pioneered would reach its current scale.

It is reported that after more than 40 years of development, Xingcheng’s swimwear industry has grown into a 10-billion-yuan industrial cluster, with an annual output value consistently hovering around 15 billion yuan. Currently, the Xingcheng swimwear industry holds four “national firsts”: it boasts the largest market share—accounting for 20% of the international market, 40% of the domestic market, and 80% of online swimwear shipments—and it boasts the nation’s largest online e-commerce transaction volume. So why is Huludao’s Xingcheng particularly successful in selling swimwear? In addition to the natural ecological advantages that have laid a solid foundation for the development of Xingcheng’s swimwear industry, the active guidance, support, and services provided by both municipal and county-level governments represent a successful collaboration between the government’s “visible hand” and the “invisible hand” of the market. To foster Xingcheng’s swimwear industry into a distinctive sector characterized by industrial clustering, standardized management, and product diversification, the government began constructing a swimwear industrial park, guiding large-scale enterprises and new projects to settle within the park to enhance cluster effects. Historically, swimwear was regarded as low-end manufacturing, developing independently without brand recognition prior to 2011. Driven by strong government support and industrial upgrading, enterprises have awakened to the importance of branding, making a leap from “OEM production” to “brand creation” and from “manufacturing” to “innovation.” At the same time, the government has waived office rental fees, actively organized online live-streaming training for the swimwear industry, and hosted the inaugural 2020 China International Swimwear Online Cloud Exhibition.

The Smart Toilet Town — Taizhou, Zhejiang

As the birthplace of China’s first smart toilet seat, Taizhou has gradually evolved into the nation’s earliest, largest-scale, most enterprise-dense, and most comprehensively equipped industrial cluster for smart toilets. Public data shows that from 2019 to 2020, the pass rate for national supervisory spot checks on smart toilet products in Taizhou, Zhejiang, reached 100%, representing an overall improvement of 87.5% compared to the 12.5% recorded in 2015.Currently, Taizhou has become China’s largest smart toilet manufacturing base, producing 6 out of every 10 smart toilets in the country. Taizhou’s goal is to cultivate the smart toilet industry into a 105-billion-yuan sector by 2023. How can a small city in southeastern Zhejiang make such a bold declaration? To address the three key areas of critical components, manufacturing, and design, a government-industry-academia-research-inspection alliance has been established.On the industrial platform, the government has invested 120 million yuan and provided 4,200 square meters of building space free of charge to advance the construction of the National Testing Center for Smart Toilets. Furthermore, it has prioritized various resources to fully support the rapid expansion of key backbone enterprises. Local governments have also established long-term cooperative relationships with authoritative domestic and international standards organizations by hosting the Smart Toilet Industry Summit Forum and international standards seminars, enabling smart toilets to obtain overseas “passports” and capture the high-end international market. As Taizhou’s smart toilet industry continues to grow, an increasing number of products have emerged that imitate local enterprises. Against this backdrop, relevant departments in Taizhou have taken decisive action, either by collaborating with the Quality and Technical Supervision Bureau to crack down on counterfeits, strengthening industry self-regulation, or assisting enterprises in safeguarding their legitimate rights and interests.

The Hub of Eyewear Production—Danyang, Zhenjiang

For every two people wearing glasses worldwide, one pair features lenses produced in Danyang, Jiangsu. Currently, Danyang covers every sector of the eyewear industry, producing over 100 million frames annually—accounting for more than 30% of the national total—while its lens output represents approximately 75% of China’s total and nearly 50% of global production.

Danyang has become the world’s largest lens production base, Asia’s largest distribution hub for eyewear products, and China’s leading eyewear manufacturing center. Throughout its development, how has the city polished its reputation as a hub for the eyewear industry? First, guiding eyewear manufacturers to establish standardized systems. Among large-scale manufacturers, the city promoted the creation of “Standardization Excellence Enterprises,” helping them establish technical standards for every production detail, as well as corresponding management standards and operational standards for each position. Second, conducting a comprehensive review of the more than 500 manufacturing enterprises within the industrial zone.They identified the 70% of enterprises with production capacity, contacted them individually to assess their output, and quickly compiled a list of key manufacturers to facilitate precise matchmaking between retailers and manufacturers. Furthermore, Danyang’s eyewear industry has integrated with the China (Danyang) International Eyewear City. This synergy between “one industry and one city” functions like two wheels—mutually reinforcing and interacting to generate a powerful dual-drive effect.This has strengthened the eyewear industry’s reach, enabling Danyang eyewear to be continuously distributed across the country and securing extensive market coverage and market share. Furthermore, leveraging the Eyewear Chamber of Commerce, the region has accelerated the development of industry standards. Over the years, the Chamber has played a proactive role in promoting relevant laws, regulations, and technical standards for the eyewear industry, thereby enhancing product quality.

Conclusion

From small family workshops to standardized corporate operations, these industrial clusters function like an ecosystem—encompassing a wide range of elements while simultaneously fostering the principle of “survival of the fittest.”Although every industry faces initial challenges—such as lagging standards, weak R&D capabilities, a lack of brand awareness, and a shortage of specialized talent—its development relies on the government’s forward-looking vision for distinctive industries, policy support, and the recruitment of talent, enabling the tailored development of local competitive industries.