County weaves enough supply for demand

As Spring Festival approaches, Caoxian county in Heze, Shandong province, is experiencing a consumer boom fueled by the popularity of traditional hanfu attire. Known as a significant hanfu production base in China, the county is witnessing a surge in demand for these historic cultural costumes.

Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) hanfu, characterized by horse-face pleated skirts and embroidered cloaks, has become a shining star in the market, local producers say. These garments have been creatively adapted into fashionable Chinese New Year "visit attire", for official occasions, with sales soaring as supply struggles to keep up with demand.

Several companies report a steady increase in orders for Ming-style hanfu since October, with some popular items scheduled for production up to the Spring Festival.

"Ming-style garments account for about 40 to 50 percent of all traditional garment sales in our company. This type of clothing is in such high demand that it's nearly impossible to keep up," says Xu Shuangshuang, the sales manager of a local hanfu enterprise.

Last year, Caoxian's online and offline hanfu sales exceeded 13 billion yuan ($1.87 billion), solidifying the county's status as a key production hub, according to the county government. Products are also exported to more than 20 countries and regions, including European countries, the United States, and Southeast Asia.

"Currently, we have more than 80 machines working overtime to produce Ming-style cloth. Clients wait in the workshop until 4 or 5 am to secure the cloth. Our daily output now exceeds 10,000 meters," says Hu Qingchun, head of a local textile factory.