From rickety bikes to automated strollers, modernization transforms county

Birth of the Black Tiger

In the 1970s, Pingxiang was a small county where a bicycle was more than just a vehicle — it was a symbol of prosperity and a coveted item in the "three essentials" for marriage. The other two were a sewing machine and a wristwatch.

However, for ordinary people, especially those in rural areas, acquiring a bicycle was no easy task due to its high price and the scarce supply.

"They were like the Ferraris of today," recalled Chai Cunliang, 66, president of Pingxiang County Toy and Baby Products Trade Association.

However, necessity is the mother of invention.

Two resourceful locals, Pan Baose and Pan Baochun, took matters into their own hands when one of the men's sons needed a bicycle to fulfill his marriage obligations.

They gathered parts from various sources, including substandard components from relatives working at bicycle factories in neighboring Tianjin city.

In a dusty shed, they assembled the county's first no-name bicycle — a two-wheeler with a rickety frame locals dubbed heilaohu or Black Tiger.

Word spread like wildfire about the pair's initiative.

"This initial endeavor gradually spread, and bicycle parts trading markets began to emerge," Chai said. These markets gradually helped Pingxiang grow into a significant bicycle parts trading hub.

"The seed of the county's bicycle and child vehicle industry was planted," said Chai, who has witnessed the industry's remarkable development over the past five decades.

"The stories of the Black Tiger and the growth of the bicycle parts trading market highlight the entrepreneurial spirit of Pingxiang's people and mark the beginning of a major global child vehicle hub," he said.

From its humble beginnings, the county gradually developed into a bicycle and child vehicle industry cluster that now produces bicycles, child vehicles and toy vehicles, as well as their parts.