A cluster that produces 900 million sweaters a year—one out of every five globally—is now betting on millennia-old textile intangible heritage as a core variable for its next growth phase. On June 25, the 10th Textile Intangible Cultural Heritage Conference convened at the Dalang Knitting Trade Center in Dongguan, sending a clear signal: heritage is no longer a museum artifact but a catalyst for industrial chain upgrades.
The Logic Behind the Data
Dalang’s knitting industry began in the 1980s, evolving from a 'three-plus-one' processing base into the world’s largest and most complete knitting cluster. The town now hosts 30,000 market entities, employs over 200,000 people across the full value chain, and recorded a total transaction value exceeding 72 billion yuan in 2025.
For buyers, Dalang is not just a production hub—it’s a complete ecosystem from yarn to finished garment. When heritage techniques merge with this ecosystem, the result is more than cultural branding; it’s value reconstruction from design source to end product.
The conference released the '2025/2026 China Textile Intangible Cultural Heritage Development Report', which for the first time includes a dedicated section on 'Industrial Integration and Fashion Innovation Achievements'. This reflects a shift in industry thinking from 'whether to do it' to 'how to do it'.
Two-Way Empowerment: A Chemical Reaction
Sun Ruizhe, President of the China National Textile and Apparel Council, outlined four dimensions in his keynote: heritage as a resource for value enhancement, a vehicle for cultural influence, a tool for common prosperity, and a bond for national identity.
Local companies in Dalang have already proven the 'knitting + heritage' business model. Yinxiang Grassland focuses on high-end cashmere, Tongmen Fashion integrates traditional Chaozhou hand-hook techniques with modern computerized knitting, and Zhouhong Apparel emphasizes deep integration of aesthetics and knitting. These cases show that heritage is not a compromise on efficiency but a boost for product differentiation.
For foreign trade companies, the direct benefit is improved pricing power. When a sweater carries a narratable cultural story and unique craftsmanship, its pricing space in international markets is no longer limited by pure OEM cost.
Institutionalizing Heritage and Innovation
The conference launched the 'Heritage·Origin—China Intangible Heritage Youth Design Support Project', a joint initiative by the CNTAC Heritage Office and Beijing Fashion Week. This platform provides exhibition opportunities for independent designers, brand owners, and young inheritors, marking a shift from master-apprentice training to systematic cultivation.
Deng Xiaoding, Second-Level Inspector of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology, proposed four recommendations: preserve tradition, empower with culture, innovate scenarios, and collaborate. Among these, 'innovate scenarios' is particularly noteworthy: heritage products must enter daily life, not remain in display cases.
A case shared by ByteDance’s CSR department confirms this: during a Douyin heritage fashion campaign, Zhuang brocade achieved significant commercial conversion. This proves that when heritage products combine fashion and practicality, online channels can amplify their reach.