Photo shows shuttlecocks produced at a factory in Jiangshan city, east China\’s Zhejiang Province. (Photo courtesy of the Jiangshan Municipal Bureau of Sports)
The hosting of the 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, east China\’s Zhejiang Province, has led to an increasing number of citizens starting to pay attention to sports and fitness, resulting in a surge in the sales of sports equipment.
Jiangshan, a county-level city located in Quzhou city, Zhejiang, is an important shuttlecock production base in China. In 2022, local production of shuttlecocks reached 180 million pieces.
Six out of every 10 shuttlecocks in China are made in Jiangshan, and these products are then exported to countries and regions such as South Korea and Southeast Asia.
A worker inspects the quality of shuttlecocks at a factory in Jiangshan city, east China\’s Zhejiang Province. (Chinanews.com/Song Chao)
Over the past 30 years, the collective income of Shandi village in Hecun township, Jiangshan, has multiplied several times.
The shuttlecock manufacturing industry in Jiangshan started in the 1980s. At that time, the white goose breeding industry in Jiangshan was booming and Jiangshan quickly became the largest white goose trading market in China.
The people of Jiangshan recognized the value of the geese’s delicate, white feathers and decided to utilize them. This led to the establishment of the local badminton manufacturing industry, which later experienced rapid growth and became increasingly robust.
Workers produce shuttlecocks at a factory in Jiangshan city, east China\’s Zhejiang Province. (Photo courtesy of the Jiangshan Municipal Bureau of Sports)
In 1994, a man named Zhou Jianjun opened a shuttlecock factory called Feida Sporting Goods Factory (later known as Jiangshan Hangyu Sporting Goods Co., Ltd.), in Shandi village.
He established shuttlecock production sites in the homes of villagers and organized training for them so that they could master the required techniques. This model of collaboration between the company and farmers created employment opportunities and led to a significant increase in the income of the local community.
Making a high-quality shuttlecock requires more than 20 manufacturing processes.
\”The quality of a shuttlecock can be judged on four main criteria: appearance, accuracy of landing, stability in the air, and durability. In terms of appearance, we first select high-quality feathers. To achieve stability in the air, the feathers must have consistent curvature and arch, and the overall angle of the shuttlecock during play should also be consistent,\” said Wu Weixing, the general manager of Zhejiang Jiangshan Duojiao Industrial Co., Ltd.
To improve production efficiency and enhance the quality of the shuttlecocks, manufacturers in Jiangshan have been investing in technological upgrades. The introduction of automated and standardized intelligent machines has given wings to Jiangshan\’s shuttlecock industry.
Automation is used in the production of shuttlecocks at Zhejiang Jiangshan Duojiao Industrial Co., Ltd. (Photo courtesy of the Jiangshan Municipal Bureau of Sports)
\”After the introduction of machines, our production capacity increased by 40 percent compared to before. In terms of quality, the pass rate of shuttlecocks, which used to be 75 percent when the products were purely handmade, now exceeds 95 percent,\” said Zhou Jianrong, the general manager of Jiangshan Hangyu Sporting Goods Co., Ltd.
As an export-oriented company, Zhejiang Jiangshan Duojiao Industrial Co., Ltd. has become the preferred choice for many foreign clients over the past 20 years. Its products have transformed from low-end shuttlecocks to high-end ones that meet major competition standards.
In the last two years, the sales of shuttlecocks made in Jiangshan have experienced rapid growth, driven by the Hangzhou Asian Games. According to statistics, from January to July 2023, the cumulative sales of shuttlecocks in Jiangshan increased by 21.8 percent compared to the same period last year.
Students participate in a combination of badminton and gymnastics at a rural school in Jiangshan city, east China\’s Zhejiang Province. (Photo courtesy of the Jiangshan Municipal Bureau of Sports)