Stuffed bears made in China spread Christmas cheer overseas

XI'AN — During this Christmas season, Care Bears dressed in Santa Claus hats and other decorations can easily be found in shopping malls across the United States.

Care Bears — an adorable plush toy favored by kids — are multicolored bears that have been used on greeting cards, and later turned into plush bears.

These stuffed animals were produced in the hinterland of the Qinling Mountains in China and journeyed for almost a month across the ocean before reaching destinations in the US.

At Ankang Heng'an Toy Ltd, a company in the city of Ankang, the birthplace of toys in Northwest China's Shaanxi province, Huang Longhua threads a needle deftly and sews the back of a stuffed bear in just one minute.

"I have been working here for four years. Every day, I can sew more than 400 toys and earn 150 yuan ($21)," said the 43-year-old, who used to be a stay-at-home mom before she became a worker at the unit.

Company manager Min Hua said the production of a Care Bear involves nearly 20 workers covering eight procedures.

After applying textile printing on piece goods, workers add embroidery. They then use machines to cut patterns, stitch them by following a given sketch, and stuff them.

"We stuff toys with polypropylene cotton, a kind of fluffy and springy material that is made from recycled materials," Min added.

After that, workers sew every edge close before the inspection and packaging processes.

Founded in 2018, the company continues to expand its exports of soft toys to North America and Europe. It produces over 10 million Care Bears each year. Last year, its exports reached a value of 180 million yuan.

"Orders dropped during the COVID-19 pandemic, but market demand quickly recovered and we began to prepare for the Christmas season six months ago," said Min.

She said the toy factory is highly labor-intensive, and that was why the company chose to settle down in Ankang, where labor and land costs are relatively lower.

To ensure quick delivery, in 2020, the local government and Shanghai International Port (Group) Co Ltd founded a logistics company — Ankang SIPG — ensuring multimodal transport at a lower cost.

"Some of the bears can take trains to Central China's Wuhan, and then reach Shanghai by waterway before heading to the US by sea. Those with tighter schedules can ride on trucks to Shanghai and then to the US by ship, a whole trip of less than a month. To reach the European market, China-Europe Railway Express is a good choice," said Li Wanhua, deputy director of the office of Ankang's plush toy industry-leading group.

The toy companies are at the apex of the flourishing plush toy industry in Ankang, which boasts 788 enterprises in this sector, creating more than 19,000 jobs, with an annual output totaling over 5.8 billion yuan by November 2023.

It is estimated that Ankang's exports of soft toys will reach 600 million yuan this year. "Plush toys are regarded as bearers of happiness. We want to bring more joy to kids across the globe," said Li.

Xinhua