Dalan Town in Guangdong produces 900 million sweaters annually, meaning one out of every five sweaters worldwide originates here. Yet behind its GDP of 47.37 billion yuan lies the persistent concern of heavy reliance on OEM models. On June 24, the 10th Textile Intangible Cultural Heritage Conference kicked off alongside the 23rd China (Dalan) Knitting Products Fair and the 95th International Wool Conference, sending a clear signal: the world's largest knitting cluster is seeking a leap from 'volume leadership' to 'cultural premium.'
Background
The triple-event convergence is no coincidence. Located at Dongguan's geometric center, the textile and garment industry serves as a core pillar of the city's '8+8+4' modern industrial system. The conference, themed 'Intangible Heritage Symbiosis, Weaving the Future,' was co-hosted by the China National Textile and Apparel Council (CNTAC) and Dalan Town Government. Participants included government authorities, industry associations, inheritors, enterprises, and academic representatives. Since its inception in 2017, the Textile Heritage Conference has traveled across eight provinces including Zhejiang, Beijing, and Yunnan. Its landing in Dalan this year leverages the town's unique strength in 'industry plus culture.'
At the opening ceremony, multiple heavyweight agreements were signed covering five dimensions: heritage standards co-building, industrial innovation integration, quality system upgrading, brand supply-demand collaboration, and carrier investment attraction. The 'Textile Heritage Standards and Certification Cooperation' between CNTAC's Heritage Office and China Inspection & Testing Group means heritage products will now receive standardized industry certification, paving the way for high-end international markets. Another agreement, the 'Strategic Cooperation on Textile Heritage and Knitting Product Innovation,' united the industry association, town government, four local enterprises (including Impression Prairie), China's top ten fashion designer Wang Dong, and heritage inheritor Wan Gongxue, forming a complete chain from design to production.
Industry Impact
For buyers, this move by Dalan means a significant expansion in available product categories. Previously, Dalan's advantages lay in cost-effectiveness and delivery speed, but product homogeneity was severe. Now, by incorporating heritage techniques—such as Lingnan kylin (mythical beast) patterns, plant dyeing, and hand embroidery—factories can deliver 'wearable cultural assets,' which command notable premium space in mid-to-high-end markets, especially among Western buyers. Industry data shows that products with cultural narratives typically sell at 30–50% higher terminal prices than comparable basic items, with faster inventory turnover.
For factories, the transformation pressure is equally real. Dalan's annual output of 900 million sweaters means it cannot fully pivot to high-value small-batch production. However, signatory enterprises like Impression Prairie have already piloted crossovers like plant-dyed cashmere, Song brocade, and Xiangyunsha silk. If this 'small order, quick response plus cultural customization' model proves viable, it could offer a replicable upgrade template for Dalan's numerous small and medium factories. Meanwhile, the quality service system co-building agreement implies the entire cluster's quality benchmark will be raised, potentially causing order losses for factories unable to meet new standards.
From a macro perspective, the presence of Deng Xiaoding, second-level inspector from the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology's Consumer Goods Industry Department, signals policy endorsement of the 'heritage plus industry' pathway. CNTAC President Sun Ruizhe's three-point direction in his speech—strengthen manufacturing, enhance cultural connotation, and create scenario-based momentum—effectively maps Dalan's industrial roadmap for the next five years: manufacturing must remain core, but must be layered with cultural IP and scenario-driven marketing.