STORY: Exploring wig industry in small town in China's Jiangxi
SHOOTING TIME: Jan. 19, 2024
DATELINE: Jan. 26, 2024
LENGTH: 00:03:52
LOCATION: NANCHANG, China
CATEGORY: ECONOMY

SHOTLIST:
1. STANDUP 1 (English): SHU CHANG, Xinhua correspondent
2. SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese): LIN SHENG'AN, General Manager of Jiangxi Anxin Import and Export Co., Ltd.
3. STANDUP 2 (English): SHU CHANG, Xinhua correspondent
4. SOUNDBITE 2 (Chinese): HUANG CHAO, Head of Daimeizi wig factory
5. STANDUP 3 (English): SHU CHANG, Xinhua correspondent
6. SOUNDBITE 3 (English/Chinese): ZENG DEFU, Head of Sanxi Element Hair Accessories Factory
7. STANDUP 4 (English): SHU CHANG, Xinhua correspondent
8. SOUNDBITE 4 (Chinese): SHEN ZHI, Official responsible for rural revitalization in Yuanzhou District
9. STANDUP 5 (English): SHU CHANG, Xinhua correspondent
10. various of employees working at wig factories

STORYLINE:

STANDUP 1 (English): SHU CHANG, Xinhua correspondent
"Hello, do you think I'm going to a party? No, I'm taking you to a fascinating place, a wig company. Follow me.
So the villagers here are packing the wigs, which will be soon sent to Africa. Now I'm in the Anxin Wig Making Company in Shuijiang Town, Yuanzhou District in Yichun City in Jiangxi Province. The small town has a wig industry with a production value of over 250 million yuan, approximately 35 million U.S. dollars. And the wigs here are exported to Europe, Africa and Southeast Asia. So, how has the local industry made its way to the world stage? Stay with us.
Standing next to me is the head of the company. He and his brothers had done wig business in east China's Zhejiang Province for many years before they returned home in 2019 and established this wig factory in this town."

SOUNDBITE 1 (Chinese): LIN SHENG'AN, General Manager of Jiangxi Anxin Import and Export Co., Ltd.
"I was born in Shuijiang. I definitely hope that our enterprises can return to Shuijiang, create more employment opportunities for locals, and let people here show their value in their hometown."

STANDUP 2 (English): SHU CHANG, Xinhua correspondent
"And I know that many companies, many wig making companies like Mr. Lin's company, they use this kind of model, like use online translators and use e-commerce websites to do this kind of business."

SOUNDBITE 2 (Chinese): HUANG CHAO, Head of Daimeizi wig factory
"In 2018, we found that cross-border e-commerce was developing rapidly. We also tried to find out some information on wig sales on some cross-border platforms and saw that wigs also had a big market abroad. Then we tried to develop some wig products targeting foreign customers, and used translation software to translate the product information. We also photographed some wig products and uploaded them to the website for foreign customers. We didn't expect our products can be sold overseas."

STANDUP 3 (English): SHU CHANG, Xinhua correspondent
"So in recent years, Shuijiang farmers have also ventured into cross-border e-commerce, and introduced and cultivated e-commerce talents. They mostly use the B2C model to sell wigs to the world. At present, there are 15 wig factories in the town engaged in cross-border e-commerce. In 2023, the town produced and exported more than 20 million wigs. And there are more than 2,200 people in the town engaged in the wig industry."

SOUNDBITE 3 (English/Chinese): ZENG DEFU, Head of Sanxi Element Hair Accessories Factory
"I used to teach in a school, and I went to Yiwu in 2008. At first, I planned to work in a foreign trade company, and then I began to make wigs. Up to now, my business has developed a one-stop service, covering production and sales, including product development."

STANDUP 4 (English): SHU CHANG, Xinhua correspondent
"To encourage farmers to return to start businesses, Shuijiang Town provides help in land, electricity, finance, logistics, etc. And now we are joined by Shen Zhi, an official responsible for rural revitalization in this district."

SOUNDBITE 4 (Chinese): SHEN ZHI, Official responsible for rural revitalization in Yuanzhou District
"The district has been trying to integrate agricultural resources, to gather scattered businesses for better development. Based on that, we encourage local residents who work outside to go back home to start businesses, and support them in loans, logistics and career training."

STANDUP 5 (English): SHU CHANG, Xinhua correspondent
"As we have seen today, the "grassroots economy" has helped farmers go out and have an international vision. We've also seen the diligent and pioneering spirit of Chinese people on the path to rural revitalization. And the new way of opening up to the world, initiated by the Belt and Road, has been affecting the life of everyone."

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Nanchang, China.
(XHTV)