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The African media delegation visits a garment shop. [Photo/Tide News]

An African media delegation visited Keqiao district in Shaoxing, Zhejiang province, on June 23, gaining firsthand insight into the cutting-edge innovation going on at China's leading textile hub.

The delegation, composed of journalists from mainstream media outlets in countries such as Ethiopia and Rwanda, toured the China Textile City and learned about its transformation from a historic waterfront cloth market into a world-class center for textile manufacturing and trade.

China Textile City is home to more than 39,000 market operators, with nearly one-quarter of the world's fabrics traded there. In 2025, the market recorded transactions exceeding 440 billion yuan ($64.65 billion).

One highlight of the visit was experiencing AI Fabric, a specialized large-language model used by the textile printing and dyeing industry. By simply taking a photo of a garment, users can use the model to instantly identify fabric materials, composition, and colors. The technology impressed visitors, including Nigerian student Ibeakamma, who said it completely changed his perception of the traditional textile industry.

The delegation also visited Shaoxing Keqiao Shengshi Tianyu Trading, where they examined a range of innovative textiles. The visit offered a close-up look at Keqiao's strong research capabilities and its commitment to industrial innovation.