Ninghai's trekking poles sell worldwide

Climbers ascend Luodui Mountain, whose altitude is 6,010 meters, in Damshung county, Tibet autonomous region. [Photo/China Daily]

The continuous and innovative development of the trekking pole production enterprises in Shenzhen town, Ninghai county, East China's Zhejiang province has made the town one of the largest trekking pole production bases nationwide and worldwide over the past 20 years.

"The town has its advantages in producing trekking poles," said Zhu Zhenkun, general manager of Ningbo Eastdragon Hardware Co, which mainly produces outdoor sporting products like ski sticks, trekking or hiking poles, carabiners and other skiing and mountaineering tools.

Zhu explained that the entire industrial chain is deeply connected to assembling a high-quality trekking pole, and the industrial clusters in the town allow the manufacturer to easily access great accessories and suitable suppliers.

The trekking pole industry in Shenzhen town started in 2000. With the support of the local mold industry, the enterprises here have gradually developed from processing for other brands to building self-owned brands, establishing an industrial cluster.

Ninghai Xingda Tourist Products Co, another local company, is one of the earliest manufacturers to specialize in the production of trekking poles and snow hiking products in China, and its latest products have been leading the industry trends over the years.

"The traditional trekking pole for cross-country athletes needs to be adjusted when they use it. It might interfere with their running path, speed, and even cause safety problems sometimes," said Liu Wen, manager of the company's Administration Department.

Liu introduced the company's latest trekking pole especially designed for cross-country athletes and said, "The pole can be used without any adjustment, solving the above-mentioned problems."

According to the local government, the town has 34 manufacturers that produce trekking poles, including four enterprises above the designated size and 30 enterprises below the designated size.

Statistics show that the town is estimated to produce 15 million trekking poles per year, with an annual output of more than 915 million yuan ($128 million).

The export ratio of all trekking poles reached more than 80 percent, and the annual output value accounts for more than 75 percent of the total output value of similar products in the country.

In 2021, nearly 3,000 employees were engaged in the industry in the town.

Besides producing trekking poles and their accessories, there are many other outdoor products in Shenzhen town, many of which involve the manufacture of equipment and outdoor machinery accessories. It includes outdoor cooking utensils, sailing tarpaulins, folding chairs, and snowboards.

The total output value of outdoor products in 2021 reached about 921 million yuan across the town.

Ninghai's trekking pole industry, with its scale, also benefits from its hiking trail and environmental protection features.

It is widely known that Ninghai was one of the first cities in China to build a standard hiking trail in the wild, making hiking in Ninghai a great choice for professional hikers and the public.

Fang Xiaoying in Hangzhou contributed to this story.