Five Continents, One Tide! The 5th Chaoshan International Textile and Apparel Expo Grandly Opens!

2026-03-23 14:36:28

After four editions of refinement, the 5th Chaoshan International Textile and Apparel Expo officially kicked off today at the Shantou International Convention and Exhibition Center! As the first major exhibition in China's intimate apparel industry this year, this edition of the Chaoshan Expo centers on the theme "Global Tides Converge," and for the first time, a dedicated brand exhibition area has been set up to showcase Chaoshan's textile industry's transition from a "manufacturing hub"

The opening show of the 5th Chaoshan Fashion Expo, titled "Tide Rises in the East 5.0," took "Five Elements Co-Creating the Tide" as its theme. Through a collaborative brand approach, it vividly narrated the contemporary vitality of textile and apparel culture amidst the interplay of light and shadow.

Party Secretary Wen Zhanbin of the Municipal Committee, Xia Lingmin, Secretary-General of the China National Textile and Apparel Council, and Fiji's Ambassador to China Li Zhenfan attended the opening ceremony and delivered speeches. Also present were Nauru's Ambassador to China Chitra Jeremiah, Indonesia's Consul General in Guangzhou Bintang Daga, Sri Lanka's Consul General in Guangzhou Rashinka Damulachi, Xie Qing, President of the China Knitting Industry Association, Ma Zhihui, President of the China Hemp Textile Association, Lei Limin, President of the China Textile Commerce Association, Huang Xin, Second-Level Inspector of the Guangdong Provincial Department of Commerce, Xu Honghua, Member of the Standing Committee of the Municipal Committee and Vice Mayor, Li Fei, Member of the Standing Committee of the Municipal Committee and Vice Mayor, Zhou Meifang, Deputy Director of Shantou Customs, as well as nearly a thousand representatives from the national textile and apparel industry, including entrepreneurs, industry clusters, professional markets, channel distributors, and internet influencers.

Party Secretary Wen Zhanbin, on behalf of the municipal Party committee and government, expressed heartfelt gratitude to indiviDuals from all sectors who have long cared for and supported the development of Shantou's textile and garment industry. He pointed out that in recent years, Shantou has adhered to a foundation of real economy and prioritized manufacturing, upholding the principle of "building the city through industry and strengthening it with industries." By promoting trade to boost industry and industry to invigorate trade, with equal emphasis on commerce and industry, and leveraging the industrial layout of "one city, one exhibition, one chain," the textile and garment sector has achieved a remarkable transformation—from scale expansion to quality and efficiency enhancement, from chain clustering to value leapfrogging, and from traditional manufacturing to innovation-driven development. He stated that Shantou will further strengthen the International Textile City, successfully host the Chaoshan Apparel Expo, and solidify a complete industrial chain to build a modern textile and garment industry cluster, striving to break new ground in optimizing and upgrading traditional industries. At the same time, he warmly invited entrepreneurs from home and abroad to deepen their roots in Shantou and Chaoshan, engage in pragmatic cooperation in brand building, technological innovation, and market expansion, and jointly write a new chapter in the ascent and innovation of Shantou's textile and garment industry.

Xia Lingmin, Secretary-General of the China National Textile and Apparel Council, pointed out that Shantou, as a distinctive and influential hub in China's textile and garment industry, has consistently strengthened its industrial chain, enhanced value chains, and optimized supply chains in recent years. The city has successfully established the Shantou Garment Expo as a highly professional exhibition with broad industry influence and a vital platform for connecting global resources, providing a dynamic "Shantou model" for the transformation and upgrading of the national textile and apparel sector. He expressed hope that Shantou’s textile and garment industry will continue to prioritize technology as the core, fashion as the soul, sustainability as the foundation, and openness as the driving force, accelerating the development of an advanced manufacturing cluster.

Fiji's Ambassador to China, Robert Li, stated in his speech that Shantou's solid industrial foundation, dynamic innovation vitality, rich cultural heritage, and open urban character are impressive. Currently, Fiji and neighboring South Pacific countries have a strong consumer demand and vast market potential for high-quality textile and apparel products. He looks forward to using this apparel expo as an opportunity to explore new avenues for economic and trade cooperation, deepen collaboration between Fiji and Shantou in the textile and garment industry, and bring more "Shantou-made" products into the markets of Fiji and the South Pacific region.

Weng Chuangjie, President of the Shantou Textile and Garment Industry Association, delivered a welcome speech introducing that this year's expo has innovatively integrated the "exhibition, Fashion Show, live streaming, and trade" model, bringing together high-quality industrial resources nationwide to build a window for display, a bridge for transactions, a platform for exchange, and a path for cooperation in the industry. In recent years, the municipal Party committee and government have steadfastly pursued the path of "building the city through industry and strengthening it with industries," supporting the development of the textile and garment sector with unprecedented efforts. They warmly welcome textile enterprises from across the country to establish and grow in Shantou, deepening cooperation in cutting-edge textile materials, intelligent manufacturing, brand incubation, design and R&D, cross-border e-commerce, supply chain collaboration, and other fields, sharing industrial dividends, jointly exploring global markets, and creating a brighter future together!

Scale explosion! 150,000㎡ full-chain carnival

This edition of the Underwear Expo spans 150,000 square meters, featuring 18 exhibition halls, 19 specialized zones, and over 1,200 participating companies, with 200,000 new and trending products on display! From lingerie and loungewear to activewear and yoga apparel, fabrics, and accessories—over a hundred subcategories are fully covered, vividly showcasing China's robust manufacturing strength and dynamic fashion vitality in the intimate apparel industry. During the event, more than 50 fashion shows, 80+ brand launches, 10 thematic forums, 3 product selection matchmaking sessions, and 2 business conferences will be held.

Brands Galore! Thousands of companies showcasing their strengths on the same stage!

A delegation of 21 national core industrial clusters arrived in Shantou, with leading brands like Gujin, Beijirong, Disney, Lee, and Fenteng dominating the scene! From products to brands, the entire industrial chain's ecological closed-loop was showcased directly—truly the pinnacle of intimate apparel industry excellence!

Global Buyers! Front exhibition, Back factory, direct access to overseas markets!

Buyers from 50+ countries and regions and 1,000+ international buyers gathered together! Brands like Bananain, Aimer, Walmart, SHEIN, and TEMU are all here for cross-channel procurement. Plus, the "Set Sail Plan" and the "Front Exhibition, Back Factory" model, along with an "all-in-one" e-commerce platform cooperation street, empower businesses to "buy globally, sell globally"!

At this year's Chaoshan Apparel Expo, a series of key buyer signing ceremonies were held simultaneously, injecting strong momentum into Shantou's textile and garment industry. In the future, the industry will continue to strengthen the core competitiveness of elastic fabrics, deepen its focus on the green and sustainable development track, and solidify new advantages for industrial growth. So far, over 50 leading domestic and international buyers have reached preliminary procurement agreements with enterprises in Shantou's industrial cluster. This impressive achievement fully demonstrates the robust market appeal and vibrant growth of Chaoshan's textile and garment industry.

Inviting 100 Top live-streaming influencers, popular bloggers, and renowned MCN agencies to join the event on-site, leveraging a 500-million-follower influencer network for live commerce.

Trending beyond borders! A fusion of technology, intangible cultural heritage, and fashion.

The robot runway debut stunned the audience with a perfect fusion of technology and fashion. Traditional crafts like Chaozhou embroidery, paper-cutting, and Teochew opera crossed boundaries into fashion, alongside the Shantou International Lingerie Fashion Week. The immersive experience combining industry, cuisine, and culture is set to ignite the crowd's excitement!

This is not just an exhibition, but a fashion carnival and wealth hotspot for the intimate apparel industry! It's got it all—trends, business opportunities, cutting-edge tech, and trendy intangible cultural heritage!