Caoxian is located in the southwestern part of Shandong Province, at the junction of Shandong and Henan provinces. It has a registered population of about 1.69 million and is a major county for human resources in Shandong. Four years ago, a local internet celebrity humorously rapped in a short video, using the catchphrase '666' to turn this small town into the so - called 'center of the universe' comparable to Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou.
In the past two years, with the popularity of 'horse - face skirts' and 'New Year greeting costumes' across the country, Caoxian has been closely linked with the Hanfu industry, achieving long - lasting popularity and attracting much attention. It has successfully transformed from an 'internet meme' to an 'industry success story'.
Horse Face Fkirt
Now, in this largest Hanfu production base in the country, there are more than 2,750 Hanfu enterprises, about 15,000 online stores, and nearly 100,000 people engaged in the Hanfu industry. On June 18th, Yao Chixing, the person - in - charge of the Youai Cloud Warehouse Hanfu Base in Caoxian, was organizing Hanfu in the exhibition hall. Entering the Youai Cloud Warehouse Hanfu Base in Caoxian, the slogan 'Everyone should have a horse - face skirt in their wardrobe' is particularly eye - catching.
As the person - in - charge of the base, Yao Chixing, born in 1990, out of his love for traditional Chinese culture and the original intention of bringing traditional clothing into the view of more people, started to engage in the Hanfu e - commerce industry more than 10 years ago. 'I hope to drive cultural development through clothing and promote our culture to the whole world,' he said.
On June 18th, Yao Chixing was checking the semi - finished horse - face skirts in the production workshop. On June 18th, Yao Chixing was promoting Hanfu in a live - stream. On June 19th, Yao Chixing (left) demonstrated Hanfu etiquette to the trainees of the Women's Capacity - Building Training Program for French - speaking African Countries at the China Women's University.
According to Yao Chixing, Caoxian has shifted from producing stage costumes for photo studios to the Hanfu e - commerce that meets the public's needs. This industry is gradually becoming more mature. In the early days, the industrial chain was scattered and not refined, but now from pattern - making and design, fabric supply, digital printing to garment sewing... the market division of labor in the Hanfu industry has become more detailed and complete.
Hanfu Factories and Shops
Walking on the streets of Caoxian, various Hanfu factories and shops can be seen everywhere. The embroidery machines are running at high speed. As the needles rise and fall, the dragon - flying and phoenix - dancing patterns and the magnificent landscapes appear on the horse - face skirts. From raw materials to design, from processing to sales, a complete Hanfu industrial chain can be seen here. On June 18th, Chen Long (right), the person - in - charge of the Shanhe Jinxiu Hanfu Design Studio in Caoxian, was discussing Hanfu design matters with his colleagues. On June 17th, at the Youai Cloud Warehouse Hanfu Base in Caoxian, the staff were processing fabrics through laser cutting.
On June 19th, at a company in Caoxian, the staff were processing embroidered fabrics. On June 17th, at the Youai Cloud Warehouse Hanfu Base in Caoxian, the staff were promoting Hanfu in a live - stream. On June 18th, at the E - commerce Logistics Public Service Center in Caoxian, the staff were sorting out express deliveries.
Caoxian used to have a large number of migrant workers going out for jobs. Now, with the development of the Hanfu industry, more and more people choose to return to their hometown. In recent years, Caoxian has attracted a total of 50,000 people to return home for entrepreneurship, driving 350,000 people to engage in the e - commerce industry, including many highly - educated talents.
On June 18th, Chen Long (behind), the person - in - charge of the Shanhe Jinxiu Hanfu Design Studio in Caoxian, was discussing Hanfu design matters with his colleagues.
On June 18th, at the Youai Cloud Warehouse Hanfu Base in Caoxian, the designers were designing patterns for horse - face skirts. In recent years, the horse - face skirts have become extremely popular. The Hanfu industry in Caoxian has also welcomed new opportunities, and its sales volume has continued to climb.
In 2024, the total online and offline sales of the Hanfu industry in Caoxian exceeded 12 billion yuan, almost accounting for half of the national market. Hanfu, mainly horse - face skirts, is sold to more than 10 countries and regions such as Australia, Canada, and the European Union, which is a vivid example of the 'going - global' of Chinese Hanfu culture.
New Hanfu Product Launch
On April 10th, models were walking on the runway at the 2025 Spring - Summer New Hanfu Product Launch in Caoxian at the E - Clothing Town Digital Economy Industrial Park in Caoxian. On June 19th, the trainees of the Women's Capacity - Building Training Program for French - speaking African Countries at the China Women's University were selecting Hanfu at the Youai Cloud Warehouse Hanfu Base in Caoxian. On June 19th, the trainees of the Women's Capacity - Building Training Program for French - speaking African Countries at the China Women's University were experiencing Hanfu at the Youai Cloud Warehouse Hanfu Base in Caoxian.
From hitting the hot search list to appearing on the fashion T - stage, from being hot - sold online to making an appearance overseas, the Hanfu industry in Caoxian is achieving a leap in scale, branding, and high - end development at an amazing speed. It allows traditional Chinese culture to 'break through the circle' in a modern way and rejuvenate in the wave of industrialization. Looking ahead, Caoxian's Hanfu industry is set to reach new heights, further spreading the charm of Chinese culture worldwide.
