In late October, the temperature in Ulanqab, Inner Mongolia, had dropped to -4°C at night, chilling the vast wilderness. Yet, in Huade County in the northeast, a garment factory spanning over 4,000 square meters remained brightly lit. Workers sat by sewing machines, fingers flying, as the hum of machinery blended with the sound of camel wool and fabric—production never stopped. The Double 11 shopping festival was in full swing.

"Recently, our factory starts work at 5 a.m. and keeps producing until around 10 p.m.," said Hao Yu, an 85-born native of Huade County. Over the past decade, he built the camel wool jacket brand "Mutuoren" on PDD Holdings Inc, turning a niche product "many hadn’t even heard of" into a blockbuster with annual sales exceeding 20 million yuan. "This Double 11, sales on PDD are expected to grow 70%-80% year-on-year," he added.

▲ Workers process camel wool jackets on the production line. Photo by Hao Yuzhou

As sales surged, wages in the factory also rose. Huade County currently employs about 20,000 people in the garment industry, mostly women with over a decade of experience in cotton clothing production. At Hao Yu’s factory, peak-season orders allow these workers to earn over 10,000 yuan monthly. Rooted in Huade, this factory has harnessed e-commerce platforms like PDD to accelerate growth, revitalizing what was once a declining industry.

Hao Yu’s journey wasn’t his first venture. His initial success came from a dropshipping women’s apparel business. After graduating in marketing and design in 2008, he moved to Shenzhen, landing a lucrative job at a jewelry company. Sensing the rise of online shopping, he started a side business selling women’s clothing. "Back then, I recorded daily profits on an A4 paper by my bed. Before it was full, I’d already made a million yuan," he recalled, which later funded his own brand.

Aging population trends inspired Hao Yu’s pivot to senior-focused warm clothing. Returning to Inner Mongolia, he tapped into Huade’s garment heritage—a hub since the 1980s, once supplying Beijing’s Wangfujing Department Store. Despite skepticism ("Why switch from women’s wear to elderly棉服?"), he persevered. Early logistics hurdles—like relying on costly postal services—nearly derailed him until PDD’s low-barrier entry and rapid growth in 2017 provided a lifeline. Without promotions, his first year saw 40,000 orders, surpassing expectations.

By 2018, buoyed by online success, Hao Yu established his own factory in Inner Mongolia. "Our goal was affordable warmth. Luxury down jackets and cashmere sweaters priced out many, so we focused on quality at fair prices—aligned with PDD’s ethos," he explained. Initially targeting seniors, his brand now attracts younger buyers, with sales growing 150%-200% annually since 2018. This Double 11, sales hit 5-6 times previous levels.

Hao Yu’s strategy—prioritizing quality over price wars—paid off. "We avoid ‘flash-in-the-pan’ trends, aiming for enduring products," he said. PDD’s support, including logistics subsidies for remote regions like Tibet and Inner Mongolia, slashed shipping costs from 20 yuan to single digits, boosting western orders by 50%.

Today, "Mutuoren" ships nationwide, expanding from its initial northern base to affluent eastern and southern markets. With annual output nearing 1 million pieces and total sales exceeding 40 million yuan (half from PDD), Hao Yu plans offline stores and diversified offerings.

His story mirrors broader revitalization. In Huade, camel wool garments—once a "sunset industry"—now drive local prosperity. Workers like Lingzi (earning 80,000 yuan in peak seasons) and "Sister Liu" (a former teacher turned seamstress) exemplify how the factory empowers women, stay-at-home moms, and career-changers.

Huade now hosts over 100 garment factories, producing 15 million pieces yearly (worth 1.2 billion yuan), exporting to Russia and Mongolia. PDD’s ecosystem fosters similar transformations nationwide, supporting millions of jobs, per a Chinese Academy of Social Sciences report.

This revival isn’t solo—it’s a synergy of platforms bridging markets and entrepreneurs like Hao Yu rebuilding industries. Here, sales figures aren’t just metrics; they’re proof of resilience, turning "sunset" sectors into beacons of rural revitalization.