Small township develops big wedding dress industry

Dingji township in Lu'an city, east China's Anhui Province, with a population of more than 50,000, has more than 15,000 people engaged in wedding dress production and related sectors. Annually, the township produces and sells nearly 5 million wedding dresses, generating an annual output value of 2.4 billion yuan (about $329 million). The products are also exported to over 30 countries and regions worldwide.

Photo shows wedding dresses on display at a wedding dress company in Dingji township, Lu'an city, east China's Anhui Province. (Xinhua/Wang Haiyue)

In the early 21st century, there was a shift in the wedding dress industry from Suzhou, east China's Jiangsu Province, particularly the city's Huqiu district, a key wedding dress production area located 400 kilometers away from Dingji. Capitalizing on this trend, Dingji implemented various policies to attract investments and encouraged locals to establish their own wedding dress production hub in Dingji.

Xu Changying, now 70 years old, was one of the first people from Dingji to return home from Suzhou, seizing the opportunity presented by Dingji's lower land and labor costs. He transformed an abandoned brick factory into a production facility and hired over 100 people to make wedding dresses.

"When I first came back, there were no supporting facilities around. We relied on buses shuttling back and forth to Suzhou to transport materials and then ship the wedding dresses out," Xu said.

A worker makes wedding dresses at Xu Changying's wedding dress factory in Dingji township, Lu'an city, east China's Anhui Province. (Xinhua/Zhao Jinzheng)

As more people started to return home to open factories and infrastructure continued to improve, more wedding dress factories sprang up in Dingji. Stores selling lace, embroidery, plastic beads, and other accessories also clustered in the area, while more than 10 express delivery companies established operations.

A comprehensive industry chain gradually formed in Dingji. Today, over 15,000 parcels containing wedding dresses are shipped from Dingji to various parts of the country and even overseas every day.

As labor costs rise and digital transformation accelerates, wedding dress manufacturers in Dingji are shifting from traditional handcrafting to mechanization. Smart equipment like automatic cutting machines and computerized embroidery machines are gradually replacing basic manual processes.

Xu Xiaolong, who heads the factory of Lu'an Zhongyuan Wedding Dress Co., Ltd., operates a computerized automatic cutting machine. (Xinhua/Zhao Jinzheng)

With rising living standards and evolving aesthetics, Dingji's wedding dresses now emphasize quality and design. Those that fail to keep up with trends are quickly left behind. Many companies have established their own design teams, creating one or two new styles daily. Sample dresses are first test-sold, and only successful designs move to mass production.

Photo shows Chinese-style wedding dresses on display in Dingji township, Lu'an city, east China's Anhui Province. (Xinhua/Wang Haiyue)

The township is now home to over 400 wedding dress brands, many gaining traction through e-commerce. The graduation season in the U.S. from May to June also generates business opportunities for Dingji. Right now, local workers in Dingji are busy sewing the latest prom gowns for American high school students.

A livestreamer sells children's formal dresses on the short-video platform Douyin in Dingji township, Lu'an city, east China's Anhui Province. (Xinhua/Zhao Jinzheng)

Data shows that Dingji now has over 30 export-oriented wedding dress manufacturers, with an annual output nearing 600 million yuan. Their products reach markets across Europe, North America, Australia, and beyond.