Luyi county of Zhoukou city, located in central China's Henan Province, has been developing the tail hair makeup brush industry for 40 years, making it a pillar industry with an impressive annual output value of 5 billion yuan ($685 million).
Makeup brushes manufactured in Luyi have been exported to more than 20 countries and regions, and the industry has created nearly 100,000 employment opportunities.
At dusk, 55-year-old Xia Lingsheng was meticulously packing finished makeup brushes in a workshop in Xiazhuang village, Qiuji township, Luyi county. The workbench was filled with exquisite makeup brushes. This batch of orders, containing 2,000 sets of makeup brushes, will be shipped to south China's Shenzhen city the next day.
"The factory is located near my home, and the work is not physically demanding, allowing me to take care of my wife," Xia said.
Xia's wife has mental disabilities and is unable to work. Their daughter is married, their eldest son works outside the village, and their second son is in high school. In the past, their life was challenging.
In recent years, Xia's life has been improving with the support of the local government and a work team dispatched to the village.
"The factory offers flexible working hours, and we are paid based on our productivity. We can choose when to come to work. This month, I can earn over 1,000 yuan working for the factory," Xia said.
In addition to the income from his work at the factory, Xia's family also raises over 40 sheep and receives subsidies. They now reside in a two-story building, and their income has been steadily increasing every year.
"We have created over 60 jobs for local villagers, with an average annual income increase of 40,000 yuan per person," said Li Jun, the first secretary of Xiazhuang village, who was sent by North China University of Water Resources and Electric Power to assume the position.
Li further explained that the workshop has attracted a company to settle in, integrating research and development, design, production, sales, and services. It produces over 200,000 sets of makeup brushes annually worth over 20 million yuan.
In villager Sun Fengliang's home in Sugudong village, Luyi county, villagers were busy processing and fulfilling orders for makeup brushes.
"We use locally produced materials such as tail hair, mouth tubes, and wooden handles to make the brushes. During peak seasons, we employ over 30 workers," said Sun, who was born in the 1980s.
After working in southern China for several years, Sun returned to his hometown to start a business. He established a small processing factory, engaging in the rough processing of tail hair raw materials.
"Our products are primarily sold in Shenzhen city, as well as Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces. We can generate a net income exceeding 400,000 yuan annually," Sun said.
Qin Yingcheng was among the first to return to their hometown to start a business. In 2017, he founded Henan Zhengyi Industrial Co., Ltd., focusing on the global high-end makeup brush market. He currently serves as the president of the Henan Makeup Brush Association, and is recognized as a leader in the industry.
When he was young, Qin was engaged in makeup brush processing in north China's Hebei Province, Tianjin Municipality, and other places. He ran a thriving business.
In 2008, nearly 70 percent of the tail hair processing workshops in Luyi suffered financial losses and subsequently shut down. This downturn prompted several insightful entrepreneurs to recognize the need to innovate to revive the makeup brush industry in Luyi.
Capitalizing on the benefits of a project aimed at attracting local talent back to their hometown to contribute to local development, Qin decided to return to his roots and establish his own makeup brush company.
According to Qin, the government provided targeted services for him to start a business, including facilitating the availability of factory buildings and financial assistance. They also planned and constructed a makeup brush entrepreneurship town.
The local government likewise encouraged textile companies to attract related companies, forming a complete industrial chain involving wool production, makeup brush manufacturing, and the production of woolen sweaters.
"We purchased 20 mu (13,333 square meters) of land with a subsidy of 93 yuan per square meter, and the government subsidy accounted for nearly half of the cost," said Qin.
"We not only produce makeup brushes, but face masks, lipsticks, powder puffs, and false eyelashes, among others, as well. The industry chain keeps expanding," said Qin, adding that annual sales are expected to exceed 200 million yuan.
Luyi county has built a makeup brush industrial park spanning over 1,000 mu, a makeup brush-themed town, and an innovation incubation park, among other facilities.
Through dedicated efforts, the county has fostered the growth of over 1,000 entities in the makeup brush industry, attracted and provided training to more than 23,000 professional technicians from across the country, and created 66,000 job opportunities.
Luyi has implemented various policies to promote the transformation and upgrading of the tail hair makeup brush industry. These efforts include cultivating skilled talent, establishing a national-level makeup brush quality testing center, and developing local standards for makeup brushes.