E China's Donghai county shines as major crystal hub

Photo shows Donghai Crystal City, located in Donghai county, Lianyungang city, east China's Jiangsu Province. (Photo/Ma Xingxing)

Donghai county, located in Lianyungang city, east China's Jiangsu Province, is a major global hub for crystal distribution. With a population of 1.24 million, the county's crystal industry employs approximately 300,000 people and generates an annual crystal trade volume exceeding 40 billion yuan ($5.56 billion).

The county's annual transaction volume for crystals on e-commerce platforms has reached an impressive 26 billion yuan. Home to over 18,000 online stores, Donghai can dispatch 350,000 crystal products globally every day through express delivery services.

Donghai boasts a significant crystal reserve of about 300,000 tonnes, accounting for more than 70 percent of the national total. With a high silicon content of 99.99 percent, it has the country's largest and highest-quality crystal reserve.

An artisan polishes a crystal product at a company in Donghai county, Lianyungang city, east China's Jiangsu Province. (People's Daily Overseas Edition/Shi Chang)

To protect the local environment, local crystal mining has been halted. Residents of Donghai county must now travel abroad to source raw crystal materials from various regions, which are then brought back for centralized processing and research and development.

In 1991, Yang Zhengshan, a farmer from Donghai, borrowed 20,000 yuan to venture to Vietnam in search of crystals. Between 1993 and 1994, he made six trips to Vietnam, bringing back dozens of tonnes of crystals to Donghai. He became the first resident of Donghai to travel abroad to purchase raw crystal materials.

Today, over 6,000 individuals from Donghai have traveled to nearly 100 countries and regions worldwide, including Brazil, Uruguay, Madagascar, and Zambia, engaging in various activities related to crystal collection, processing, transportation, and trading.

Statistics show that approximately 40,000 tonnes of raw crystal materials are imported annually to Donghai. Artisans in Donghai then craft these raw materials into a wide array of crystal products. Through detailed carving, polishing, and packaging, these materials are transformed into exquisite items sold worldwide.

Crystals attract numerous dealers and e-commerce livestreamers from across the country to a crystal fair in Donghai county, Lianyungang city, east China's Jiangsu Province. (Photo/Shao Guangming)

As night falls, livestreamers in Donghai enter their busiest time. These livestreamers predominantly communicate in English and other foreign languages.

Wang Na, deputy general manager of a local crystal company, noted that crystal handicrafts were traditionally sold overseas through distributors or at offline exhibitions. However, the advent of the internet has opened a gateway for Donghai to connect with global markets directly.

Founded in 2019, the Donghai Crystal Cross-border E-commerce Trading Center has developed a digital service platform to support various facets of cross-border e-commerce.

The platform addresses crucial aspects such as the product supply chain, cross-border logistics, export customs clearance, foreign exchange settlement, and cross-border networks. By integrating online platforms with offline services, it provides a comprehensive service system that spans the entire process, including the supply chain and trade channels. The goal is to help small- and medium-sized enterprises expand their international footprint.

Customers from Australia purchase crystal lights at a store in Donghai county, Lianyungang city, east China's Jiangsu Province. (Photo courtesy of Zhao Zhonggang)

Donghai is now home to hundreds of crystal cross-border e-commerce trading centers and livestream studios, directly employing over 50,000 individuals in the e-commerce sector.

In 2023, the transaction volume of Donghai's crystal industry exceeded 40 billion yuan, with online retail sales growing by 15.6 percent and express delivery volumes seeing a 35 percent increase.

The crystal industry has become the hallmark of Donghai, drawing numerous professionals to the area. Yet, the significant capital investment and entrepreneurial mindset required have introduced certain barriers to entry.

Motivated by the goal of aiding villagers in achieving prosperity, Zhao Zhonggang, the Party chief and head of Xingxi village in Quyang township, embarked on his entrepreneurial journey in 2015.

He leveraged crystal scraps as the primary material to craft natural crystal pillows, mattresses, seat cushions, and other related products.

"With our sales continuously growing, we've created job opportunities for more than 100 farming households, including individuals with disabilities," Zhao stated.

In 2019, Zhao established an e-commerce livestreaming studio in the village. He formed an entrepreneurial team and provided e-commerce training to young people from nearby areas who showed an interest in livestreaming.

This initiative led to 85 people finding employment in e-commerce. In 2023, Zhao's efforts helped achieve sales exceeding 65 million yuan with various crystal products across the township.