The traditional sugar refining skill in Yiwu city can be traced back for more than 400 years to the reign of Emperor Shunzhi of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). As it is completely inherited, the skill is full of culture and folklore value. 

The sugar is made from local cane. The refining process includes more than 20 stages that can be divided into four main steps: material sorting, juicing, boiling and air drying. The sugar is made by unique tools and the worker must have rich experience to ensure the products are of good quality in terms of color, taste and texture. 

In the 1950s, all the households in Yiting town were engaged in sugar refining, winning it the titles of "hometown of brown sugar" and "productive protection base of intangible cultural heritage in Zhejiang province". The brown sugar made in Yiwu won the special award at the Western China International Fair in 1929. It was honored as a famous-brand product at the China International Agriculture Expo in 1999 and 2001. Even now, the sugar refining skill is still popular in Yiting and Fotang towns.