Pan Wei (third from right) shows products to clients in Shaoxing, Zhejiang province. [Photo/Tide News]

Songxia town in Shangyu district, Shaoxing, Zhejiang province, is home to more than 1,400 umbrella factories — producing over one-third of the world's umbrellas each year.

Among these producers, Zhejiang Tianwei Rainwear stands out with a 2024 production value of 450 million yuan (about $62.65 million), over 300 global patents, and more than 500 proprietary designs developed annually across 30-plus product series.

Since its founding in 1992, Tianwei has seen strong demand from overseas markets — with Japan now accounting for 60 percent of its total sales.

The company tailors umbrella designs to specific market needs. In addition to all-plastic recyclable models developed for Japanese consumers, Tianwei is pioneering nano-tech umbrellas and cooling umbrellas that reduce temperatures beneath the canopy by more than 10 C.