Fiberglass to fortune: A Chinese county's billion-yuan rise from mountains

An aerial drone photo taken on June 17, 2025 shows a view of Shangyou industrial park in Shangyou County, east China's Jiangxi Province.(Xinhua/Guo Jiewen)

NANCHANG, June 26 (Xinhua) -- Tucked in the mountains in east China's Jiangxi Province, Shangyou County -- a remote enclave of 267,000 people with no mineral resources, no railway access, and quite a distance from major markets -- has defied expectations by forging a multi-billion-yuan fiberglass empire from virtually nothing.

Having started 35 years ago with one of China's first fiberglass factories powered by local hydropower, Shangyou now hosts 195 fiberglass firms. Their combined sales topped 15 billion yuan (around 2.09 billion U.S. dollars) last year.

At Yuan Yuan New Materials Co., Ltd., minerals like quartz sand and limestone melt at 1,600 degrees Celsius, forming strands one-fifth the width of a human hair.

"When blended with other materials, fiberglass fabric replaces steel at a quarter of the weight but with equal strength," said company chairman Zhang Quanlei. It extends lifespans in products such as underground pipes, appliance casings and car chassis.

Zhang is one of the earliest pioneers to lead in this industry. As a former fiberglass salesman, he raised over 900 million yuan in 2016 to build a pool furnace production line -- featuring equipment typically only affordable to multinationals or state-owned firms.

With government industrial funds and a dedicated natural gas pipeline secured through policy support, this furnace was launched in 2018, ending Shangyou's reliance on outside fiberglass yarn.

"Shipping yarn from elsewhere costs 400 to 500 yuan per tonne. Now, that's our profit," said Min Xinhong, who returned home to start a cable materials factory, drawn by the county's mature supply chain.

Over 40 downstream manufacturers have arrived since 2018, forming specialized chains in safety gear, electronics and construction materials. Today, one in five local workers is employed in the fiberglass sector.

Shangyou's fiberglass sector, notably, has formed one of China's few complete industrial chains -- transforming raw stone into advanced composites used in pipes, circuit boards and fire blankets.

From January to April 2025, the county's value-added industrial output of enterprises above designated size rose by 12.7 percent year on year, with industrial investments climbing 31 percent. Also, more than 100 local firms are upgrading or expanding.

Shangyou, meanwhile, has made its mark in the field of safety protection. Locally produced fiberglass-reinforced electric bike helmets account for a quarter of the domestic market. The county supplies over 40 percent of China's cable insulation and anti-corrosion auxiliary materials, while its fire blankets and related fire safety products have secured 30 percent of the national market.

"The fiberglass industry has an extensive and highly integrated supply chain. It's rare to find a county like Shangyou with such a complete industrial ecosystem," said Liu Changlei, secretary-general of the China Fiberglass Industry Association.

To attract talent and creative ideas, Shangyou partners with 26 universities and institutes like Wuhan University of Technology in central China's Hubei Province. Firms get government incentives for hiring top graduates and benefit from business-friendly policies.

Amid global headwinds, Shangyou is exploring new markets. Safety gear producer Billionsports Technology now makes fiberglass pickleball paddles, and sold 100,000 sets last year while leading national paddle standards.

In addition, a "shared smart manufacturing" pilot project will pool automated equipment for smaller firms. "Shared workshops let us focus on product development," said Wang Bowen with Habita High-Temperature Textiles (Jiangxi) Co., Ltd.

With several new projects underway, including a 150,000-tonne plant and endeavors focused on recyclable thermoplastic materials, Shangyou's mountain-forged fibers keep securing success. ■

A worker works at a workshop of a downstream enterprise of Yuan Yuan New Materials Co., Ltd. in Shangyou County, east China's Jiangxi Province, June 17, 2025.(Xinhua/Guo Jiewen)

A worker works at a workshop of Yuan Yuan New Materials Co., Ltd. in Shangyou County, east China's Jiangxi Province, June 17, 2025. (Photo by Luo Jianghua/Xinhua)

Technicians test raw materials at the laboratory of Yuan Yuan New Materials Co., Ltd. in Shangyou County, east China's Jiangxi Province, June 17, 2025.(Xinhua/Guo Jiewen)