Small producers help towns grow

The port city of Qingdao is home to many small but robust manufacturing enterprises that export to foreign companies, and their clustering has helped the satellite towns where they operate thrive.

Each town has an annual trade volume over $5 million, and many of them have been hailed as Foreign Trade Brands Towns.

Located in western Qingdao, Ligezhuang in Jiaozhou county is known for its wig and hair products. With a manufacturing history of more than 30 years, the town has 60 producers of hair products that churn out combined annual revenue of 1.8 billion yuan ($273 million). More than 30,000 workers are involved in the industry in Ligezhuang.