'Qiuku village' in Tai'an opens overseas markets

Updated: Dec 14, 2018 chinadaily.com.cn Print

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Yaojiapo village, located in Tai'an's Taishan district, East China's Shandong province, is specialized in producing "qiuku". Now it has exported to overseas markets.

Qiuku, also called long underwear or long johns in English, is a style of two-piece underwear with long legs and sleeves normally worn during cold weather.

The village has been engaged in making long johns for more than 30 years, and now one in every three households makes them, according to Shi Xijun, the Party chief of Yaojiapo village.

"It didn't sell well at the beginning. Villagers had to ride bicycles at 3 o'clock to Tai'an downtown or Jinan," Shi said, "and gradually, the village attracted more and more merchants to make orders, developing into a truly 'qiuku village'."

"Our knitting workshop is medium-sized in the village. It's cold now and we sell nearly 700 long johns a day," said Li Yanqin, the manager of Xinxu clothing store.

She began to take up making clothes when she married into the village 30 years ago, and went from knitting or children's clothes to making qiuku, which are indispensable for both men and women, old and young. From working alone to employing workers, Li's knitting workshops have grown in size.

"Now, it is mainly aimed at the middle and low-end market. We will improve its quality in terms of fabrics and styles and open a higher-level market to lure more clients," Li said.

Zhang Jiguo, the director of the Baifu textile factory in the village plans to create his own brand according to market changes. The factory, at present, aims to produce long johns with loose styles and comfortable material to satisfy senior people. Later, it expects to develop fashionable young products.

Shi said that now the village's long johns are not only sold throughout the country, but also exported to Africa and other places to open overseas markets.