72 billion yuan—that is the annual transaction volume of Dalang's entire wool knitting industry chain. One out of every five sweaters worldwide comes from this small town in Lingnan. On June 24, the 23rd Knitting Fair, the 10th Textile Intangible Heritage Conference, and the 95th International Wool Conference opened simultaneously in Dalang, Dongguan. This is not a simple stacking of exhibitions but a historic convergence of top global wool industry resources, revealing a complete industrial upgrade path from yarn to garments, from traditional intangible heritage to AI models.
The Data Behind the Industry Base
Dalang's confidence comes from 40 years of manufacturing accumulation. The town has 150,000 computerized knitting machines and nearly 10,000 seamless knitting machines, with full digital coverage of core processes. The cycle from design to shipment has been shortened from 7-10 days to 2-3 days, and the product pass rate has risen to over 99%. These hard indicators show that Dalang is not only the 'World Knitting Capital' in output but also a benchmark in efficiency and quality control.
Upstream, Dalang develops nearly 10,000 new yarn varieties annually and holds two-thirds of China's fancy yarn patents, making it the country's largest wool yarn distribution center. The functional yarn exhibition area became a focal point, featuring nano-level waterproof, oil-proof, and anti-fouling yarns, continuous cool-shading heat-resistant UV-blocking yarns, and warming heat-generating yarns—directly responding to global procurement demands for outdoor and functional apparel.
Technological Leap: From AI Models to Full-Process Smart Manufacturing
The most anticipated release at this year's Knitting Fair was the AI sweater model. Leveraging AI large models, the OPC knitting design agent can generate styles, create patterns, and automatically decompose process parameters. An AI customization immersive experience zone allowed visitors to experience '2-hour rapid garment making' on-site—this is not just a demonstration but a signal that small-batch, quick-response order capabilities are set to improve dramatically.
On the equipment side, next-generation intelligent knitting machines and seamless integrated forming machines were showcased. Leading companies like Xinhongfeng have already applied integrated forming technology on a large scale, eliminating stitching processes, reducing labor costs, and improving garment comfort and integrity. For foreign trade buyers, this means Dalang factories can now handle higher-value seamless knitting orders.
In operations, the Dalang knitting ERP big data system connects all data nodes across orders, production, warehousing, logistics, and sales. Real-time production tracking, dynamic inventory control, and intelligent business analysis—these capabilities directly translate into supply chain transparency and responsiveness, key to reducing inventory risk for brands and retailers.
New Narrative for Intangible Heritage: A Symbiotic Experiment of Culture and Industry
A major innovation of this conference was the deep integration of the textile intangible heritage conference with the industrial exhibition. The intangible heritage fashion show followed the principle of 'Dalang design, Dalang production, Dalang presentation.' China's top ten fashion designer Wang Dong, together with local leading enterprises and intangible heritage inheritor Wan Gongxue, created 36 original knitted garments featuring the kylin pattern.
This is not mere cultural decoration. In the 'Weave·Core' exhibition area, high-precision robotic arms complemented knitted lion heads; in the 'Weave·Soul' area, a 'Colorful Cloud Dragon' made from Dongguan dragon dance intangible heritage frames and Dalang specialty yarn demonstrated the coexistence of traditional craft and smart manufacturing. This fusion is creating new product premium spaces—knitwear with intangible heritage elements has shown clear price gradients in European, American, Japanese, and Korean markets.