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Overseas consumers buy in. |
Lace curtains exported by Zhejiang Zhonghua Home Textiles Group to Europe are about 20% more expensive than others because their designs uniquely depict Chinese scenes or culture.
For example, products depicting "an old man rowing a boat with a black awning" are immensely popular in the EU.
This type of art has become a new growth area in Zhejiang's exports. Figures released by the Hangzhou Customs showed that "cultural exports" from Zhejiang amounted to US$1.5 billion over the first 10 months of 2011, up 11.9% from the previous year.
Visual arts products form a major part of these exports.
Yang Jianjiang, who's a Manager with Zhonghua Home Textiles, says Zhonghua mainly exports goods to Europe, with annual turnover amounting to about US$10 million.
In addition to designs supplied by clients, it also produces lace curtains with Chinese or local Zhejiang characteristics, and these are prized by foreign consumers.
Another example is the "double-happiness" design that is so well-received in Europe. While foreign consumers don't understand the character itself, they know that it represents happiness and older people love to use curtains with this design to decorate their French windows.
Embroidered fabrics with "the old man rowing a boat with a black awning" design, a typical Shaoxing motif, are also very popular abroad.
The business opportunities generated by the so-called culture industry have prompted Zhejiang Rising Cultural Innovation Co Ltd to inquire with Customs about how to go about applying for export product qualifications, in a bid to further expand its exports.
According to one executive, the company's Walt Disney and Transformers stage costumes, face masks and handbags are exported to EU, US and African markets.
Zhejiang Rising is currently working with the Shanghai Film Group on a new animated movie and expects to export relevant cartoon figures and other derivative products when the film is ready for release.
"We are mostly producing disposable holiday consumables. Demand for these products is great and so is their profit margin," said the executive.
from Eric Wang, Hangzhou Office
(Image courtesy of Xinhua News Agency)
