How can you get your hands on a "Bing Dwen Dwen"? In the blink of an eye, the panda encased in an icy shell has become the talk of social media... The Winter Olympics mascot "Bing Dwen Dwen" has taken the world by storm, skyrocketing to fame overnight and becoming virtually impossible to find—a true "top-tier sensation." Countdown to the 2022 Winter Olympics
Behind Bing Dwen Dwen’s viral success, where did the manufacturing sector contribute its strength? What technologies exactly conquered the world? The combination of “Made in China” and Chinese technology presents a major opportunity to formally integrate into a world-class development platform.
From Textiles to Ceramics, We Do It All
Rapid Production in Nantong and Quanzhou
With the Beijing Winter Olympics now past the halfway mark, while we haven’t yet achieved “one Bing Dwen Dwen per household,” let’s take a look at where these mascots were “born.” As an industrial product manufactured on an assembly line, the phenomenon of “Bing Dwen Dwen being hard to come by” is by no means mere marketing hype, but rather the result of perfect timing, favorable conditions, and human effort.During the Spring Festival, when factories were closed and employees had returned home, a massive surge in orders emerged. Due to copyright issues surrounding Olympic licensed merchandise, production could not be coordinated and centralized like ordinary industrial goods. However, these licensed manufacturers have already rushed back to work, pulling all-nighters to rush production—your “Dundun” might already be on its way… It is reported that there are currently 29 licensed manufacturers and 58 licensed retailers for the Beijing Winter Olympics.There are only three licensed manufacturers for the Winter Olympics mascot plush toys. Among them, Nantong Golden Phoenix Craft Toy Manufacturing Co., Ltd., located in Qidong, is one of the three nationwide and the only one in Jiangsu Province to participate in the design and manufacturing of the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics mascots. As is well known, Nantong is renowned nationwide for its textile industry and is the fourth city in Jiangsu Province to achieve a GDP of one trillion yuan.The Dasheng Spinning Mill, founded by the national capitalist Zhang Jian, is regarded as a pioneer of Nantong’s industrial development. Today, home textiles produced by Nantong-based companies such as Lianfa Co., Ltd. and Luolai Living account for over 40% of the national market share. This explains why the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Olympic Games (BOCOG) chose to focus on Nantong. Upon receiving an invitation from BOCOG, the company immediately began designing and developing a series of intricate processes.Pattern creation, embroidery, printing, cutting, sewing, assembly, packaging… From blueprints to finished dolls, the process involved continuous refinement and repeated comparisons to achieve perfection. Additionally, Dehua County in Quanzhou is the production site for the Winter Olympics’ ceramic mascots. Dehua is one of China’s three ancient porcelain capitals, with a ceramic-firing tradition spanning millennia. Known as the “World Capital of Ceramics,” its porcelain is sold in over 190 countries and regions worldwide. Every aspect of the ceramic mascots—from design and color to packaging—requires repeated verification. Since ceramics are susceptible to physical stress during production, the heads and feet are prone to breaking or cracking during the molding stage. After extensive communication and experimentation, the final mascot prototypes passed the IOC’s review and swiftly entered standardized production.
Wrapped in Dongguan’s Spirit
A Look at the Manufacturing Hub
"Bing Dwen Dwen" is assembled from two parts: a plush doll and a silicone shell. The production of the silicone shell presents significant challenges, including mold design, mold opening, trial molding, debugging, production, the creation of the ice ribbon, and the selection of raw materials.
The production process for the Bing Dwen Dwen shell is also highly complex; every step—from mold design to shaping and demolding—requires precision. Integrating the Olympic rings and rainbow stripes into the product also presents significant technical challenges. As a global manufacturing hub, Dongguan has played a prominent role in multiple aspects of the Winter Olympics.Zhongsheng Silicone is one such Dongguan-based company, providing R&D and production for the "Bing Dwen Dwen" silicone shells. To achieve mass production of these shells, precise molds must first be created—and once again, Dongguan has succeeded... Beyond contributing to the production of the Beijing Winter Olympics mascot, Dongguan’s manufacturing expertise is also evident in the bobsleigh events.Bobsled helmets are crucial protective gear for athletes and were previously reliant on imports. However, 60% of the world’s helmet contract manufacturers are now located in the Pearl River Delta, with the world’s largest helmet contract manufacturer based in Chashan, Dongguan. With a complete industrial chain in place, these bobsled helmets will also be produced in Dongguan through customized, mass production. As one of the world’s largest manufacturing hubs, Dongguan has long been hailed as the “World’s Factory.” Just how powerful is its manufacturing sector? Statistics show that last year, Dongguan had 11,348 industrial enterprises above designated size—ranking second in the province—with an industrial output value of 500.881 billion yuan, a 10.2% increase from the previous year. The city has successfully become the 15th “double-ten-thousand” city in China, boasting both a GDP exceeding 1 trillion yuan and a population surpassing 10 million. Why is “Made in Dongguan” featured again at this Winter Olympics? It is understood that the toy and sports and cultural goods manufacturing sector is one of Dongguan’s four signature industries. Data shows that as of 2020, Dongguan had 1,485 enterprises in these four signature industries with an annual output value of 20 million yuan or more. Among them, there were 426 enterprises in the toy and sports and cultural goods manufacturing sector.
In 2021, the added value of Dongguan’s four characteristic industrial sectors with an annual output value of 20 million yuan or more reached 46.29 billion yuan, a 16.6% increase from the previous year. Among these, the toy and sports and cultural goods manufacturing sector recorded the highest growth rate at 21.9%.
In recent years, an increasing number of “Made in Dongguan” products have appeared on domestic and international sports stages, with a growing presence and ever-diversifying forms. Dongguan Weiguang has signed cooperation agreements for the 2022 and 2026 World Cups, securing authorization to produce various World Cup-related products; Dongguan Qisheng Footwear Co., Ltd., as the designated manufacturer of ceremonial shoes for the Chinese sports delegation, produced the exclusive leather shoes worn by Chinese athletes during the opening ceremony… For Dongguan, where traditional manufacturing remains prevalent—with such enterprises typically operating primarily as contract manufacturers—the key challenge lies in leveraging these major sporting events to achieve transformation and upgrading. The city must focus on cultivating “specialized, refined, distinctive, and innovative” small and medium-sized enterprises within niche markets, engaging in a competition where innovation drives manufacturing. This represents a “new challenge” for Dongguan.
Industrial Manufacturing
Broad and Comprehensive, Precise and Detailed
When discussing “Made in China,” we often highlight its competitive advantage: China’s industrial system comprises 41 major categories, 207 medium categories, and 666 minor categories, making it the country with the most comprehensive industrial framework in the world. However, challenges remain, including overcapacity in low-end sectors, insufficient momentum in high-tech industries, weak technological innovation capabilities, the need to optimize and upgrade the industrial structure, and room for improvement in industrial efficiency. Compared to the glamorous “unicorn” companies, “specialized, refined, distinctive, and innovative” enterprises are mostly found in the finer details of industrial chains and are often easily overlooked. Yet, paradoxically, the number of such enterprises better reflects a region’s competitiveness. It is clear that this requires local investment promotion efforts to not only focus more on industrial research capabilities but also to possess forward-looking judgment regarding industry competition and technological trends. Therefore, investment promotion cannot be a superficial endeavor. Particularly in the industrial sector, it requires both in-depth research that penetrates every niche market and a strategic perspective grounded in local dominant industries, while also taking into account the interlocking nature of national and even global industrial chains. Furthermore, we clearly understand that key components, critical electronic parts, and essential raw materials serve as the “anchor” of China’s industrial manufacturing sector—without an “anchor,” how can a ship remain stable?
Conclusion
That said, the explosive popularity of “Bing Dwen Dwen” has once again demonstrated the immense potential of China’s manufacturing sector. However, “Bing Dwen Dwen” alone does not tell the whole story. Only by continuously identifying more high-quality enterprises in the “specialized, refined, distinctive, and innovative” sectors and establishing a comprehensive support system can China’s industrial manufacturing truly achieve both breadth and depth, as well as precision and refinement.
