The 138th Canton Fair is in full swing. At this session, Dongguan made its debut as a collective showcasing its new urban industrial image as a “City of Manufacturing Aesthetics”, attracting attention from global buyers and captivating the world with Made-in-Dongguan.
During the window period of the Canton Fair, from October 23 to 25, Dongguan organized a “Manufacturing Aesthetics” tour. Over the three-day itinerary, Canton Fair buyers, mainstream media, financial influencers, and factory exploration bloggers visited representative “Manufacturing Aesthetics” enterprises such as Hyxion, Cortina, Wonderful Ceramics, Weishi Technology, and Topstar. They delved into the frontlines of Dongguan’s manufacturing sector for procurement matching and immersive experiences, seeking to decode the “Made in Dongguan, Made by Art”.
At this session, the Dongguan enterprise delegation saw a notable increase in intended orders, an achievement attributable to the value enhancement brought by the “Manufacturing Aesthetics” concept. During the fair, Dongguan invited buyers to visit its branded enterprises, using “Manufacturing Aesthetics” to attract overseas merchants to factories for order discussions. Simultaneously, mainstream media and financial influencers visited these companies, offering in-depth interpretations of how Dongguan is leveraging “Manufacturing Aesthetics” as a core driver to accelerate the development of a modern industrial system anchored by advanced manufacturing.
Canton Fair buyers explore Dongguan on a “Treasure Hunt”
On October 23, the first day of Dongguan’s “Manufacturing Aesthetics” tour, over ten Canton Fair buyers visited companies such as Rui-feng Yuan, Hyxion, Cortina, and Greenway for procurement matching. Among these buyers were top Argentine kitchenware chain brands and Brazilian new energy vehicle chain enterprises.
Red Dull, a buyer from Brazil, believes that clean energy has a profound impact on global industrial development. Through this in-depth visit to Greenway, he saw many new technological products and found a new energy vehicle component factory with robust production capacity, expressing strong interest in potential cooperation.
Procurement intentions are built upon the core competitiveness of Dongguan’s enterprises. The deep integration of design, craftsmanship, brand building, and cultural expression is essential for products to move up the high-end value chain, and it is also a key factor that makes Dongguan brands attractive to buyers.
In the exhibition hall of Hyxion, Sal, a buyer from Canada, expressed great admiration for Dongguan’s “Manufacturing Aesthetics”. He mentioned that while most kitchen manufacturers still use traditional materials for cabinets, this company has taken a different approach by crafting cabinet doors from aluminum, calling it a perfect example.
“This kind of seamless aesthetic design is enough to make ordinary consumers feel that ‘this product is truly different’. More importantly, such innovative products can perfectly adapt to high-humidity environments, which is exactly the product direction we came to the Canton Fair specifically to find,” Sal remarked.
In today’s deeply reshaping global trade landscape, Dongguan-based enterprises are gaining more global attention through “Manufacturing Aesthetics”. As buyers noted during their corporate engagements, what impresses them is not just the quality of Dongguan manufacturing but also the aesthetic philosophy behind that quality.
CORTINA DONGGUAN MFG CO LTD is a European wholly-owned enterprise specializing in professional design of footwear and apparel. During the event, Sales Director Huang Baiqi explained that the buyers attending the matchmaking were actually more focused on whether there are series of product styles available for specific application scenarios, which places higher demands on the company’s overall design capabilities and craftsmanship aesthetics. “When a customer is attracted by the product’s appearance, they will further examine the details, such as the stitching techniques, injection molding, and cold adhesion of the shoes. This requires us to elevate our aesthetic sense, particularly reflected in the details of craftsmanship.”
Huang Baiqi noted that as a global enterprise, Cortina also extends aesthetics to environmental concepts, international standards, and even the manufacturing process. “Only by showcasing strengths in every aspect, quality, appearance, and details, can we ensure the ability to sufficiently attract and expand into markets.”
Decoding Dongguan’s “Manufacturing Aesthetics”
On October 24, a media delegation composed of mainstream media, financial influencers, and factory exploration bloggers visited the exhibition halls and workshops of Dongguan manufacturing brands such as Deli’s Inno Swiss, Wonderful Ceramics, Hayidai, Weishi Culture Technology, and Topstar to decode the essence of Dongguan’s “Manufacturing Aesthetics”. Through on-site research, they explored how Dongguan enterprises integrate the beauty of design, craftsmanship, production, products, culture, and philosophy throughout the entire manufacturing process, thereby identifying new directions for transformation and upgrading.
By 2025, the architectural ceramics industry is undergoing profound changes, with leading brands breaking new ground through differentiated innovations. Wonderful Ceramics, a premium brand under Marco Polo Holdings, took the lead by establishing three major product systems: Life, Design, and Master. With its unwavering commitment to aesthetics, Marco Polo has become a globally recognized name in Chinese architectural ceramics and was officially listed on the Shenzhen Stock Exchange on October 22.
Kai Feng, founder of Guomin Jinlue and vice president of the South China City Research Institute, noted that the transformation and development of Wonderful Ceramics epitomize Dongguan’s shift from contract manufacturing to high-end and smart manufacturing. “Initially, it was just a ceramic product. Now, it incorporates more aesthetic elements and cultural creativity. This is an essential path for traditional enterprises to evolve from contract manufacturers into leaders of the industrial chain,” Kai Feng remarked.
From an urban perspective, Kai Feng emphasized that Dongguan’s industrial transformation path in recent years offers a replicable model for many traditional industrial cities in China.
At the exhibition hall of Weishi Technology, the media delegation was deeply captivated by the story of how this trendy toy enterprise has won over global fans through the fusion of traditional Chinese style and metal elements. Weishi Technology’s independent brand Pin Ku takes intangible cultural heritage elements as its creative core, developing over 2,000 original IPs and embarking on a dual-driver development path of “cultural creativity + technological innovation”. In the view of Xiong Mao, General Manager of Weishi Technology, when a trendy toy product is launched and possesses aesthetic appeal high enough to rival crafts or artworks, it has the power to truly astound everyone.
Since last year, Dongguan has been integrating design, craftsmanship, brand building, and cultural expression to explore the deep integration of manufacturing and aesthetics. However, “Manufacturing Aesthetics” is not limited to the transformation and upgrading of traditional industries. Amid the new wave of global technological revolution, technological innovation also requires the empowerment of aesthetics.
Topstar is a listed enterprise in Dongguan’s industrial robotics sector. On September 12, Topstar globally launched its first wheeled humanoid robot, Xiaotuo, the first humanoid robot to be practically applied in the injection molding industry. According to a representative from the company’s Brand Marketing Department, continuous progress in robotic products still requires the enhancement of technological aesthetics. “The exterior must be beautiful and pioneering, while also possessing versatile product capabilities. This represents an elevated dimension of ‘Manufacturing Aesthetics’.”
On October 25, the media delegation visited CHCH Garment Factory Store, Xinyuan Foods, and Houjie Times Leather Brand Factory Store for a shopping tour. On-site, factory exploration bloggers conducted live streaming e-commerce sessions, showcasing Dongguan-made products to a wider audience and personally experiencing the aesthetic appeal of Dongguan’s manufacturing.
While the Canton Fair continues to attract global buyers to Guangdong, allowing them to experience China’s smarter, greener, and more aesthetically pleasing new products, Dongguan is leveraging the concept of “Manufacturing Aesthetics” to help local manufacturing climb the high-end value chain. A representative from the Bureau of Commerce of Dongguan City stated that the achievements at the Canton Fair are just the beginning. Dongguan will continue to foster platform synergies to ensure “Manufacturing Aesthetics” gains sustained recognition in the global market, thereby injecting additional momentum into the city”s annual foreign trade growth.
