Guzhen courts international buyers as lighting exports surge

"Store foot traffic has increased by two to three times compared with ordinary weekends," said Li Xing, general manager of the Beijing distributor of Guzhen-based Songwei Lighting, a high-end brand established in 2003. He attributed the products' nationwide appeal to strong design, reliable quality, and advanced manufacturing.

Guzhen's product range spans modern, new Chinese-style, European, and minimalist styles, covering everyday households and high-end bespoke engineering orders alike. New products include AI intelligent dimming lamps, blue-light-free healthy lighting, and integrated whole-house lighting solutions.

"If you can think of a lighting fixture, Guzhen can make it," said Xue Zhiguo, the town's Party secretary. He added that the town has added English road signs and encourages service staff to practice commercial English to better accommodate foreign buyers.

Guzhen has roughly 92,000 market entities and exports lighting products to more than 180 countries and regions, accounting for nearly 50 percent of the global lighting market share and over 70 percent of China's domestic market share, according to data from local authorities.

Wang Zhuo, secretary-general of the China Association of Lighting Industry, said that in recent years, the Guzhen lighting industry has accelerated its transformation from a domestic trade-oriented model to an export-oriented one with rapid export growth.