The Intersection of a 72-Billion-Yuan Knitwear Cluster and Millennia-Old Intangible Heritage: What the Dalang Model Means for the Textile Industry

Producing 900 million sweaters annually, with a total transaction value exceeding 72 billion yuan, and one out of every five sweaters globally originating from here—Dalang, Dongguan, has grown from a 'three-plus-one' processing base into the world's largest knitwear industrial cluster over four decades. But what truly caught the industry's attention was the signal it sent at the 10th Textile Intangible Cultural Heritage Conference: this cluster is actively integrating millennia-old textile intangible heritage into its industrial narrative.

The 'Two-Way Empowerment' of Cluster and Heritage: The Industrial Logic Behind the Data

Dalang's industrial foundation is solid enough. With 30,000 knitwear market entities, 200,000 employees, and a 72-billion-yuan annual transaction value, these numbers confirm it is not a 'heritage demonstration site' sustained by policy subsidies, but a real industrial entity capable of commercializing cultural resources. Deng Xiaoding, Second-Level Inspector of the Consumer Goods Industry Department of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, made it clear at the conference: promoting the living inheritance and innovative transformation of textile intangible heritage is a key path to cultivating new productive forces in the textile industry. The subtext is that intangible heritage is no longer just a 'bonsai' for cultural protection departments but an 'engine' for industrial upgrading driven by the MIIT system.

Dalang's uniqueness lies in the emergence of benchmark enterprises combining 'knitwear + intangible heritage.' Yinxiang Prairie focuses on high-end cashmere, Tongmen Fashion integrates traditional Chaoshan hand-hook techniques with modern computer knitting technology, and Zhouhong Apparel continuously invests in the deep integration of aesthetics and knitwear craftsmanship. The existence of these enterprises proves that heritage transformation in Dalang is not empty talk but a pursuit with real commercial returns.

From 'Technical Grafting' to 'Value Reconstruction': Three Levels of Heritage Transformation

The case shared by Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology professor Guo Ruiping at the conference is noteworthy. She systematically transformed intangible heritage themes like the 24 solar terms, blue dyeing, and Tibetan elements into a series of knitted products, offering a core judgment: the key to heritage transformation is the multi-dimensional and multi-level enhancement and reshaping of cognition. This means the integration of heritage and industry cannot stop at the superficial grafting of 'printing embroidery patterns on sweaters'; it requires systematic innovation in materials, forms, and production methods.

Sun Ruizhe, President of the China National Textile and Apparel Council, provided a clearer framework in his keynote report. He pointed out that heritage is a lifestyle requiring content transformation; heritage is a cultural asset requiring value management; and heritage is a regional identifier requiring distinctive storytelling. These three dimensions correspond to three directions for industrial upgrading: from selling products to selling content, from OEM to branding, and from homogeneous competition to differentiated positioning.

Dalang's '100-Billion Target' and the Role of Intangible Heritage

Deputy Mayor Ye Jianfen of Dalang Town clearly stated at the conference that Dalang is now fully committed to building a 100-billion-yuan knitwear industrial cluster. How will the 28-billion-yuan gap from 72 billion to 100 billion be filled? Relying solely on capacity expansion is clearly unsustainable. Intangible heritage offers a differentiated value growth path—enhancing product added value through cultural empowerment, opening new consumption scenarios through design innovation, and building premium pricing power through brand stories.

The two major results released by the CNTAC Intangible Heritage Office at the conference—the annual development report and the 'Heritage·Origin' youth design support plan—provide systematic support from the industry level. The former offers decision-making references for local governments and enterprises, while the latter builds a commercialization platform for young designers. These actions indicate that the integration of heritage and industry is moving from 'case-by-case exploration' to 'systematic promotion.'

Practical Insights for Buyers, Factories, and Foreign Trade Enterprises

For Buyers - Pay attention to product lines from Dalang's 'knitwear + heritage' enterprises, especially those that have completed systematic brand upgrades. Their bargaining power is increasing, but so is the value of collaboration. - Include 'cultural narrative capability' as a supplier evaluation dimension during product selection. Enterprises capable of heritage transformation usually have deeper accumulations in design, craftsmanship, and supply chain management. - Monitor the annual heritage development report released by CNTAC. It provides authoritative annual references and decision-making bases for the industry, helping buyers identify trend-setting products early.

For Foreign Trade Enterprises - Heritage-empowered knitwear products have differentiated competitive advantages in international markets. Consumers in Europe, the US, Japan, and South Korea are more willing to pay for 'products with stories.' The 'knitwear + heritage' combination of Dalang enterprises can become a new selling point for brand going global. - Establish long-term cooperative relationships with factories capable of heritage transformation, rather than one-time procurement. The design capabilities and craft accumulation of such factories require time to develop; stable order relationships benefit both parties in jointly developing overseas markets. - When participating in international exhibitions, actively incorporate heritage elements into product displays and brand stories. The approach of Dalang enterprise Tongmen Fashion, which integrates traditional hand-hook techniques with modern computer knitting technology, serves as a replicable case for going overseas.