Hechi silk products hits global stage

The workshop of Guangxi Jialian Silk. [Photo/Hechi Daily]

Hechi is known as the "New Silk Capital of China", and the scale of silk produced here has been the highest in the country for 16 consecutive years. After years of development, Hechi's silk products have hit the global stage.

During the 13th Five-Year Plan period (2016-20), more than 30 kinds of mulberry silk products, such as the 6A-grade raw silk, silk face masks, and silkworm pupas, were exported to more than 10 Asian and European countries and regions, including Japan, India and Italy, with its annual export volume jumping from 11 million yuan ($1.6 million) to more than 200 million yuan.

In the past, Jialian Silk's main business was mulberry raw silk production. Although its annual output value exceeded 100 million yuan, its added value was low. The turnaround occurred after the construction of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA). Jialian Silk seized the opportunity to open a studio in Shenzhen, Guangdong province, and promoted high-end silk products to the GBA market.

After five years of development, Jialian Silk has established itself in the GBA, and has begun to expand into overseas markets. The company's sales orders for silk and home textiles in 2023 have exceeded 70 million yuan.

In order to enable more enterprises to "go global" like Jialian Silk, Hechi has worked hard to establish platforms. At present, bulk commodity trading platforms for cocoons and silk, including the ASEAN International Cocoon and Silk Trade Center and the China Silk Trade Market, have been established. National-level industry events like the China International Silk Conference have also been held, enhancing exchanges and cooperation between domestic and foreign industries.

Italian merchants order mulberry silk products in Yizhou district. [Photo/Hechi Daily]