Datang in Zhuji, is a large sock production base and strives to be a sock culture center based on its prosperous textile industry. [Photo/Zhejiang Daily]

Datang town in Zhuji, Zhejiang province is home to China's most prosperous sock enterprise. Nine Datang companies recently scored orders worth million dollars from MAGIC Las Vegas, a three-day showcase of the latest in apparel, footwear and accessories held in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.

Chen Renyong, an attendee of MAGIC Las Vegas from Datang, said their products were favored by foreign buyers mainly because they fulfilled the needs of the global market. "People visiting the exhibition prefer special socks with original designs instead of normal ones," he added.

Being innovative is a target of the sock industry in Datang. The town also aims to become a globally known sock culture center and tourist destination. To achieve this goal, a big data center and a design center have been set up in the town. The government currently cooperates with over 20 research institutes, colleges and universities to cultivate talented designers for local textile companies.

Chen's factory has invested a lot of money in R&D to improve its competitiveness. His company has designed a series of functional socks currently enjoying increasing popularity among purchasers.

Datang, once a small town with a population of only 60,000, has since developed into a large sock production base whose output covers nearly 35 percent of the world sock market. The town continues to expand into global markets and promote multi-channel marketing.

The first two months of 2017 witnessed a total output value of 3.37 billion yuan ($487.55 million) for the town, a year-on-year increase of 7 percent.

Sock companies from Datang town of Zhuji produce various kinds of socks with different functions. [Photo/China Economic Weekly]