Returning home, the journey across the gentle hills of the Jiaolai Plain reveals a landscape shifting from urban neon lights to the green of farmland and orderly factory buildings. Pingdu, a small city embraced by the Yellow Sea's lingering charm and the Bohai Sea's seasonal winds, greeted me with an unexpected vibrancy. Once known primarily for the sweet grapes of Daze Mountain and the crisp Majiagou celery, this visit revealed a town with deep agricultural roots now birthing new vitality, quietly transforming amid industrial upgrading waves. From being South Korea's "vegetable basket" to rising chemical eco-parks and globally impressive tech cosmetics, each step forward embodies the wisdom and strength of this small city.
Pingdu's development foundation stems from its rich agricultural heritage and abundant natural resources. Located at the geometric center of the Jiaodong Peninsula at the junction of Qingdao, Yantai, and Weifang, Pingdu enjoys resource radiation from these three major cities while maintaining approximately 100-kilometer distance from each, earning its reputation as the "reception hall of the Qing-Yan-Wei urban cluster." This county-level city in the Jiaodong hinterland possesses the fertile Jiaolai Plain, where mild climate and quality soil create excellent conditions for agricultural products. As a nationally advanced grain production area, Pingdu's agricultural products combine quality and fame: Majiagou celery holds national geographical indication protection, Daze Mountain grapes carry the "China's Hometown of Grapes" title, while Pingdu kimchi has achieved the leap from household workshops to standardized production. As a major kimchi export base, Pingdu holds over 60% share of South Korea's imported kimchi market, with annual exports exceeding 200,000 tons.
Beyond agricultural blessings, Pingdu's landscape holds codes for industrial rise. The Qingdao Xinhe Ecological Chemical Technology Industrial Base, one of Qingdao's two specialized chemical parks, stands as China's only chemical park bearing the "ecological" designation. Located in northwest Pingdu, the park serves as a hub connecting the Jiaodong Peninsula with inland areas, situated at the golden intersection of Shandong Peninsula Blue Economic Zone, Yellow River Delta Efficient Ecological Economic Zone, and Qingdao Metropolitan Circle. With approximately 30 million tons of underground brine reserves, 100,000 acres of surrounding salt fields, and adjacent Laizhou Bay's 19 billion-ton brine mineral deposits rich in graphite, gold, and iron resources, the area provides abundant chemical raw materials. The park has initially formed three 100-billion-yuan industrial clusters covering fine chemicals, bay chemicals, and advanced functional materials.
Pingdu's eyelash industry emergence began with 1980s household workshops, evolving through 40-plus years into refined manufacturing and brand creation from original contract processing. The city hosts over 5,000 eyelash industry market entities and 20,000 processing points, generating annual output value of 10 billion yuan while accounting for 80% of national and 70% of global production. Capable of producing 3,000 different eyelash product styles, the industry employs 50,000-60,000 workers. Through integration of 3D printing technology and automated equipment, Pingdu now ships approximately 20 billion pairs of cosmetic eyelashes worldwide annually.
In Pingdu, two seemingly unrelated specialty industries—eyelashes and kimchi—jointly achieve remarkable results: supplying 70% of global eyelash market share and over 60% of South Korea's imported kimchi, establishing dominant positions in both niche sectors. These "small but beautiful" industries grew into "hidden champions" through deep industrial chain integration and precise global market connectivity. In 2025, this Jiaodong small city delivered substantial development achievements: regional GDP breaking through 101 billion yuan, industrial output value exceeding 110 billion yuan, ranking seventh among Shandong's nine county-level regions with GDP over 100 billion yuan.
Strolling through Pingdu's urban and rural areas reveals Xinhe Chemical Park's steady order demonstrating industrial strength alongside dynamic eyelash factories weaving beauty dreams, while distant farmland vitality and nearby bustling streets full of local dialects and laughter complete the picture. As Daze Mountain's winds remain gentle and Jiaolai River's waters continue flowing, this rising small city maintains its unique rhythm and strength, progressing steadily with both traditional charm and industrial dreams amidst modern transformation.