Vitalizing traditional industries

Zhang Jiangping, chairman of Ningbo Peacebird Fashion and a deputy to the 14th National People's Congress, has been focusing on the future of traditional industries as part of his duties.

Zhang said sectors such as apparel are facing challenges, including product homogenization and intense competition, while also dealing with an increasingly complex external environment. These pressures have raised the requirements for industrial upgrading and long-term development.

How traditional industries can renew themselves and keep pace with changing times has become a key issue Zhang has been paying attention to in recent years.

He said greater efforts are needed to promote standards for guofeng and guochao styles — products that incorporate Chinese cultural elements — and to build a strong portfolio of Chinese cultural brands.

Peacebird has also taken steps to support industry transformation. The company has launched a youth fashion research center, an innovation design center, and a technology excellence center, while strengthening cross-sector cooperation with partners such as the Palace Museum.

Zhang said these efforts aim to help the apparel industry move beyond simply selling fabric and instead deliver cultural value through design and branding.