From rickety bikes to automated strollers, small county emerges as global hub
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As morning mist lingers over a residential compound, a mother places her toddler in a stroller.
After activating an auto-follow mode, the “Xiaokabu” automated smart stroller glides silently behind her like a loyal nanny, gently avoiding pebble paths and puppies.
When she crouches to wipe her child’s face, the stroller halts. As she resumes walking, it follows without delay.
“It drives itself! So convenient!” an elderly person exercising nearby exclaims.
Initially sceptical about its safety, the mother had worried the stroller might wander off track. But she has been delighted to learn that it functions seamlessly and safely.
This futuristic scenario happened recently in Pingxiang county of Xingtai, a city in Hebei province — a hinterland area that produces a huge proportion of the world’s strollers.
Yet the birthplace of this cutting-edge baby carrier traces its roots back to humbler beginnings.
In the 1970s, Pingxiang was a small county where a bicycle was more than just a vehicle — it was a symbol of prosperity and a coveted item in the “three essentials” for marriage. The other two were a sewing machine and a wristwatch.
However, for ordinary people, especially those in rural areas, acquiring a bicycle was no easy task due to its high price and the scarce supply.
“They were like the Ferraris of today,” recalled Chai Cunliang, 66, president of Pingxiang County Toy and Baby Products Trade Association.
However, necessity is the mother of invention.
Two resourceful locals, Pan Baose and Pan Baochun, took matters into their own hands when one of the men’s sons needed a bicycle to fulfil his marriage obligations.
They gathered parts from various sources, including substandard components from relatives working at bicycle factories in neighbouring Tianjin city.
In a dusty shed, they assembled the county’s first no-name bicycle — a two-wheeler with a rickety frame locals dubbed heilaohu or Black Tiger.
Word spread like wildfire about the pair’s initiative.
“This initial endeavour gradually spread, and bicycle parts trading markets began to emerge,” Chai said. These markets gradually helped Pingxiang grow into a significant bicycle parts trading hub.
From its humble beginnings, the county gradually developed into a bicycle and child vehicle industry cluster that now produces bicycles, child vehicles and toy vehicles, as well as their parts.
Pingxiang county now stands as a powerhouse in the bicycle and child vehicle industry, boasting over 8,000 upstream and downstream enterprises, according to the local government.
It produces about 50 per cent of the nation’s and 40 per cent of the world’s bicycles and child vehicles, with products exported to over 100 countries and regions, statistics show.
In recent years, a growing number of foreign merchants have travelled to the county to inspect and purchase bicycles, strollers and components.
Ilhomjon Turdikulov, a buyer from Uzbekistan, visited Pingxiang on 10 June to purchase bicycle parts, and stayed in the county for about a week.
“The parts I bought last time have sold out, so I came for some new ones,” he said, adding that the components he purchased in Pingxiang are very popular in his country. His previous journey was in March.
Turdikulov is an old friend of Qin Shaopeng, sales manager of Xingtai Yakexi Bicycle Co in Pingxiang, which produces bicycles and strollers, and parts for bikes, strollers and tricycles.
“We have known each other for four or five years, and he (Turdikulov) always comes to us at least twice a year,” Qin said. “Years ago, foreign purchasers only bought 100 bike parts or so each time they visited. Today, it’s at least 300 or 400,” he said.
Customers like Turdikulov learn about the county through trade shows or are introduced to its products by friends and colleagues. E-commerce platforms are also helping local businesses go global.
The county has hosted 19 consecutive expos to showcase its bicycles, child vehicles, and toys. The latest exhibition in March attracted more than 1,500 companies from inside and outside the province and customers from around the globe, with 4.15 billion yuan (£424.1 million) in orders made, according to local government data.