One out of every five sweaters worldwide comes from Dalang, Dongguan. This former manufacturing hub, once known as 'China's Sweater Town,' is now signaling a shift from simple scale advantage to systematic competition through an unprecedented convergence of industry events.
On June 24, the 23rd 'Knitting Fair,' the 10th Textile Intangible Cultural Heritage Conference, and the 95th International Wool Textile Organization Conference opened simultaneously in Dalang for the first time. Representatives from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, the China National Textile and Apparel Council, and the International Wool Textile Organization attended. On-site signings covered cultural heritage, quality improvement, market matching, and spatial expansion.
Industry Data: Structural Change Behind RMB 72 Billion
Dalang's full industry chain annual transaction value exceeds RMB 72 billion, built on over 40 years of accumulated ecosystem. The town boasts 150,000 computerized knitting machines and nearly 10,000 seamless forming machines, with core process digitization approaching 100%. The design-to-ship cycle for a sweater has been compressed from 7-10 days to 2-3 days, with product quality rates exceeding 99%.
Notably, Dalang develops nearly 10,000 new yarn varieties annually, holding two-thirds of China's fancy yarn patents. Upstream material innovation is becoming a new growth driver. Functional yarns such as water/oil/stain-repellent, thermoregulating, and UV-blocking are moving from labs to mass production.
Technology Deployment: AI Model and Full Digitalization
At this year's Knitting Fair, an AI sweater model was officially launched. This model is not a concept but integrated into actual production workflows. The OPC knitting design agent enables style generation, pattern design, and automatic process parameter decomposition, significantly shortening R&D cycles and lowering design barriers. An AI customization immersive experience zone allowed visitors to experience '2-hour instant garment' service.
On the management side, Dalang's knitting ERP system connects order, production, warehousing, logistics, and sales data nodes. Real-time production tracking, dynamic inventory control, and intelligent data analysis push the industry from production intelligence to management digitalization.
Intangible Heritage Integration: From Cultural Symbol to Commercial Value
Another highlight is the deep integration of textile intangible cultural heritage with modern industry. In the heritage fashion show, a top Chinese fashion designer collaborated with local enterprises to create 36 original knitted garments featuring the Qilin pattern. Exhibition zones combined robotic arms, 3D interactive experiences, and knitted lion heads and colorful cloud dragons.
This integration is not mere cultural packaging. The Textile Intangible Heritage Conference has been selected as a key event for the 2026 National Consumer Brands Campaign, meaning heritage elements are becoming new levers for brand premium and consumer market differentiation.
Regional Strategy: From 'Dalang Knitting Valley' to Global Window
Dalang is advancing the 'Dalang Knitting Valley · Greater Bay Area Wool Textile Meeting Room' project, positioned as a world-oriented wool textile industry comprehensive service platform. Located at the exit of Metro Line 1, the core building 'Dalang Eye' will serve as a key window for industry display, exchange, and trade.
The fair adopted an innovative 'one main, six sub, seven enclave' exhibition layout, with the main venue expanded, six professional markets as sub-venues, and seven 'Dalang Preferred' enclave halls opening simultaneously. This signals Dalang's ambition to evolve from a single production base into a global resource allocation center.