An aerial view of Puyuan town in Jiaxing. [Photo provided by Puyuan town for Tide News]

Puyuan town, a major knitwear hub in Jiaxing, East China's Zhejiang province, has recorded approximately 20.46 billion yuan ($3.01 billion) in sweater industry transactions in the first quarter of this year, up 7.54 percent year-on-year.

The town continues to upgrade its traditional textile sector through technology, branding, and the integration of cultural tourism.

From smart manufacturing to overseas expansion, local companies are reshaping the industry. Apparel producer Diaoshuai is building a new headquarters focused on intelligent production, while other firms are introducing AI-assisted design, digital inventory systems, and faster delivery models.

At Diwei Fashion, embedded digital chip systems allow 3,000 sweaters to be processed into inventory within five minutes, reducing labor demand and improving production efficiency.

Puyuan has also accelerated its global expansion. The overseas version of the "Puyuan Sweater" digital trade platform and the international brand "PlinkX" have been launched, attracting interest from more than 30 overseas buyers in the first two months of this year.

Alongside industrial upgrading, the town is promoting the integration of fashion, tourism, and commerce, with events such as fashion weeks, concerts, and social media creator conferences held at the Puyuan Fashion Resort, which have boosted visitor traffic and helped reshape the town's image beyond its traditional role as a manufacturing center.

Since producing its first sweater in 1976, Puyuan has developed into one of China's largest knitwear clusters, with 17 specialized markets, more than 13,000 shops, and over 7,000 business operators. Its annual market transaction volume has exceeded 100 billion yuan for seven consecutive years.