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A poster for the 5th Shanxiahu World Pearl Conference. [Photo/Tide News]

The 5th Shanxiahu World Pearl Conference commenced in Zhuji, East China's Zhejiang province, on May 20, spotlighting the pearl industry of Shanxiahu town and discussing global trends in depth.

The local pearl industry chain generates an annual output of 50 billion yuan ($6.93 billion), with its transactions accounting for 80 percent of China's and 70 percent of the global market.

Cross-border e-commerce drives international growth, with over 500 accounts generating 500 million yuan in 2024 sales. Plans are underway to establish shared overseas warehouses to strengthen international market reach.

Tech innovations include unmanned factories, AI-powered design tools, and traceable aquaculture chips, while digital farming reduces pollution and accelerates pearl cultivation.

The conference highlights fashion integration through a national jewelry design contest, advancing Zhuji's transformation into a "global pearl fashion hub". Cultural tourism initiatives have opened new avenues: a "blind box" clam-opening experiencing street-boosted village income by 600,000 yuan. 

Shanxiahu is now tapping into pearl-themed cultural tourism with projects like a futuristic pearl design community, a global freshwater clam breeding R&D base, and an immersive cultural tourism ecosystem.

Shanxiahu exemplifies industrial transformation through a model of "global vision + tech empowerment + fashion integration", driving the pearl industry toward higher dimensions of technological innovation, operational evolution, and cultural renaissance.

Jin Jinfu, Party secretary of Zhuji, said the city would anchor its development on building a "100 billion yuan fashion industry", taking this conference as a new milestone to cement Zhuji's iconic status as the "World Pearl Capital".