Plumbing and Sanitary Ware in Kaiping: Embarking on a New Journey of Transformation and Upgrading

Kaiping City is one of the three major plumbing and sanitary ware production bases in China. With its advantageous geographical location, convenient transportation conditions, and other strengths, and through more than thirty years of accumulated development, it has gradually formed a plumbing and sanitary ware industry chain encompassing “raw material supply—core component production—sanitary ware machinery manufacturing—leading enterprise guidance—brand-name product production and sales,” presenting a strong trend of industrial agglomeration.

Kaiping City offers a comprehensive variety of plumbing and sanitary ware products, with a large industrial scale, and its products enjoy a prominent reputation both at home and abroad. Since entering the 21st century, it has been successively awarded”China (Shuikou) Faucet Production Base,” “China Faucet · Sanitary Ware Manufacturing Base,” “China Plumbing and Sanitary Ware Production Base,” “China Plumbing and Sanitary Hardware Export Base (Shuikou, Guangdong),” “Guangdong Plumbing and Sanitary Ware International Procurement Center,” “National Foreign Trade Transformation and Upgrading Base (Plumbing and Sanitary Ware),” and “Kaiping City Shuikou Export Plumbing and Sanitary Ware Product Quality and Safety Demonstration Zone,”and a series of other honorary titles. From imitation and learning to independent research and design of products, from faucet production to the manufacture of precision components such as valve cores, from supplying the domestic market to going global and exhibiting products worldwide, from selling products to selling “brands,” the plumbing and sanitary ware industry of Kaiping has traversed an arduous entrepreneurial path. In today’s era of high-quality manufacturing development, it is embarking on a new journey of transformation and upgrading.

After reform and opening-up, the Kaiping County Second Light Metal Factory committed itself to product innovation, conducting technical research on new products such as thermostatic faucets, ceramic basin drainers, and bathtub drainers. In 1985, by referencing foreign models, the factory successfully developed hot-and-cold thermostatic shower faucets for ceramic basins and bathtubs, with product quality reaching the level of similar foreign products, filling a gap in China’s plumbing equipment products. By 1992, the factory’s total output value had reached 13.5 million yuan, and it was rated as aGuangdong Provincial Advanced Enterprise, a National Second-Class Metrology Qualified Unit, and a Designated Factory for Advanced Plumbing Equipment Products under the National Ministry of Light Industry. Driven by policies for the development of the private economy, numerous plumbing and sanitary ware enterprises in Kaiping branched out and gradually emerged in the early days of reform and opening-up, becoming exemplary cases of private enterprise development in Kaiping at that time.

Plumbing and sanitary ware products produced by Kaiping County Second Light Metal Factory in the 1980s

After Deng Xiaoping’s Southern Tour speeches in 1992, the Kaiping plumbing and sanitary ware industry once again set off an entrepreneurial wave, entering the “fast lane” of rapid development and becoming one of Kaiping City’s pillar industries. A batch of high-quality plumbing and sanitary ware brands such as HUAYI Sanitary Ware, Xien Sanitary Ware, and Qiaodun Sanitary Ware sprang up like bamboo shoots after rain. Many enterprises were selected as “Top Ten Well-known Brand Enterprises in China’s Faucet Industry,” obtained international quality system certifications, and successfully opened up markets in Hong Kong, Macao, and overseas. Half of their products were sold to Hong Kong and Macao, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, Europe, the Americas, and other regions. Kaiping City established a plumbing and sanitary ware equipment market and industrial base, as well as a plumbing and sanitary ware commercial street in Shuikou Town. Starting from formulating preferential measures, guiding enterprises to improve management, introducing advanced technologies, enhancing product quality, and expanding promotion and exhibitions, it vigorously supported plumbing and sanitary ware enterprises to settle in and develop in Kaiping. After decades of accumulation and metamorphosis, Shuikou’s sanitary ware industry gradually evolved from simple hardware products to a plumbing and sanitary ware industrial cluster centered on Shuikou Town. By 2000, there were 411 plumbing and sanitary ware enterprises in Shuikou Town, with a total output value reaching 600 million yuan. At famous-brand product exhibitions held in major cities across the country, Kaiping plumbing and sanitary ware products were extremely popular.

On December 8, 2000, the First China (Shuikou) Plumbing and Sanitary Ware Equipment Exhibition and Trade Fair, jointly hosted by the China Building Materials Industry Association and the Kaiping Municipal People’s Government, opened in Shuikou Town, Kaiping City. At the opening ceremony, 10 projects were signed, including 4 investment projects and 6 trade projects, with the combined investment and trade amount totaling 478 million yuan. The successful holding of the first Plumbing and Sanitary Ware Equipment Exhibition and Trade Fair established the brand of Kaiping plumbing and sanitary ware. Riding on the momentum of the sanitary ware expo, by 2002, the number of plumbing and sanitary ware enterprises in Shuikou Town, Kaiping City, had increased to more than 460, with a total output value of 1.113 billion yuan—nearly double that of 2000. Annual sales reached 2 billion yuan, with a domestic market share of 45%.

On December 8, 2000, the First China (Shuikou) Plumbing and Sanitary Ware Equipment Exhibition and Trade Fair opened in Shuikou Town, Kaiping City

Over the past twenty-plus years, Kaiping City has successively held 10 Plumbing and Sanitary Ware Equipment Exhibition and Trade Fairs (Sanitary Ware Expos) in Shuikou Town, and has successively built the China (Shuikou) Sanitary Ware Equipment Exhibition and Trade Center, the China Sanitary Ware City, and the China (Shuikou) Sanitary Ware Expo City, providing plumbing and sanitary ware enterprises with a high-end, integrated exhibition, procurement, and trading display platform that has attracted many merchants to participate. Meanwhile, in terms of e-commerce platforms, the Global Plumbing and Sanitary Ware Network was established; in terms of R&D and testing platforms, the Shuikou Plumbing and Sanitary Ware Technology Innovation Center and the Guangdong Provincial Quality Supervision Plumbing and Sanitary Ware Product Inspection Station (Jiangmen) were established; in terms of publicity and service platforms, the Shuikou Plumbing and Sanitary Ware Industry Association was established. Industry-supporting service facilities have become increasingly comprehensive, effectively improving the efficiency of product R&D and independent innovation, and helping enterprises with transformation and upgrading.

In March 2018, Shuikou Town in Kaiping City was designated by the Ministry of Commerce as a National Foreign Trade Transformation and Upgrading Base (Plumbing and Sanitary Ware)

To fully leverage the regional cluster advantages of the Kaiping plumbing and sanitary ware industry and build a“Global Sanitary Ware Procurement Platform”integrating production and commerce, in 2017, Kaiping City built the China (Shuikou) Sanitary Ware Expo City in Shuikou Town with a total investment of more than 3 billion yuan. From October 18 to 20, 2018, the 10th Shuikou Sanitary Ware Expo was held at the China (Shuikou) Sanitary Ware Expo City, with an exhibition area of 50,000 square meters. There were 357 exhibiting enterprises in the sanitary ware series category, 106 in the machinery and equipment category, and 64 related supporting exhibiting enterprises. More than 140 targeted purchasers from countries including the United Kingdom, Australia, the United Arab Emirates, India, Colombia, and Malaysia, as well as more than 100 international clients from the Guangzhou Autumn Trade Fair, attended the event. Through two international trade matching sessions, orders worth more than 70 million US dollars were facilitated. At the same time, more than 3,500 domestic distributors and visitors were invited, more than 1,000 domestic letters of intent were signed, and OEM and ODM orders totaled 1 billion yuan.

China (Shuikou) Sanitary Ware Expo City

Mechanized production line of a Kaiping plumbing and sanitary ware enterprise (Image source: Internet)

In recent years, the agglomeration effect of the Kaiping plumbing and sanitary ware industry has become increasingly significant. By 2023, the total output value of the Kaiping plumbing and sanitary ware industry was approximately 22 billion yuan. The city has 121 plumbing and sanitary ware enterprises above the designated size, 1 enterprise with an annual output value of over 1 billion yuan (HUAYI Sanitary Ware), and 16 enterprises with annual output values exceeding 100 million yuan. There are more than 3,000 related enterprises in production, R&D, sales, trade, and other areas (including individual industrial and commercial households), employing more than 60,000 people (with nearly 5,000 professional talents). A complete industrial chain has been formed, centered on Shuikou Town and radiating to surrounding areas, covering raw material supply, parts processing, finished product assembly, technology R&D, product design, quality testing, logistics and distribution, and e-commerce. After years of cultivation, Kaiping City has 15 provincial-level “specialized, refined, distinctive, and innovative” small and medium-sized plumbing and sanitary ware enterprises, 24 provincial-level innovative small and medium-sized enterprises, 32 national high-tech enterprises, and 8 “Doubling Plan” enterprises. More than 170 enterprises have obtained international ISO certifications, with more than 180 certifications from major export countries (regions). They have repeatedly won domestic and foreign product design awards such as the iF Design Award, the Red Dot Award, and the Hongmian Design Award. More than 2,000 products have been granted national patents. In recent years, the Kaiping Shuikou Plumbing and Sanitary Ware Industry Association successfully registered the “Shuikou Sanitary Ware SHUIKOU” collective trademark, committed to building the“Shuikou Sanitary Ware”regional brand, showcasing the quality of“Shuikou Manufacturing”to the world. In 2023, Kaiping City’s plumbing and sanitary ware product exports reached 1.8 billion US dollars, demonstrating significant advantages in product export scale.

In June 2023, 90 plumbing and sanitary ware enterprises from Kaiping City participated in the 27th China International Kitchen & Bathroom Facilities Exhibition held in Shanghai (Image source: Internet)

In October 2024, plumbing and sanitary ware enterprises from Kaiping City participated in the 136th China Import and Export Fair (Provided by the Municipal Bureau of Science, Industry and Commerce)

Since 2022, Kaiping City has seized the strategic development opportunities of the “Twin Zones” (Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and the Pilot Demonstration Area of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics), making every effort to promote the transformation and upgrading of the plumbing and sanitary ware industry and to build the Kaiping International Sanitary Ware Innovation Base. This base focuses on smart sanitary ware, home decoration industry, and innovation and entrepreneurship finance as its development directions, and includes a High-End Plumbing and Sanitary Ware Intelligent Manufacturing Center, a Plumbing and Sanitary Ware Enterprise Incubation and Cultivation Center, and a Plumbing and Sanitary Ware Industry Supporting Service Center. The first-phase construction covers supporting facilities such as park roads, integrated pipe networks, talent apartments, industrial incubation bases, logistics centers, service centers, and shared laboratories, providing comprehensive services for the settlement of sanitary ware enterprises. In 2024, the Kaiping International Sanitary Ware Innovation Base introduced 11 industrial projects throughout the year, with a total investment of 2.53 billion yuan and an expected annual output value of 4.15 billion yuan. In July 2024, the Kaiping plumbing and sanitary ware industrial cluster was recognized as a 2024 Guangdong Provincial Distinctive Industrial Cluster for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises. On October 27 of the same year, the 2024 China · Kaiping International Plumbing and Sanitary Ware Investment and Trade Matching Conference and the Achievement Exhibition of the Guangdong Kaiping Shuikou Plumbing and Sanitary Ware National Foreign Trade Transformation and Upgrading Base was held in Kaiping City. The event invited sanitary ware buyers and industry representatives from more than 30 countries to visit, connect, and negotiate in Kaiping, helping the international development of Kaiping’s plumbing and sanitary ware industry.

In July 2024, the Kaiping plumbing and sanitary ware industrial cluster was selected for the list of provincial distinctive industrial clusters for small and medium-sized enterprises. The picture shows the Kaiping International Sanitary Ware Innovation Base (provided by the Shuikou Town Government)

On October 28, 2024, the 2024 China • Kaiping International Plumbing and Sanitary Ware Investment and Trade Matching Conference and the Achievement Exhibition of the Guangdong Kaiping Shuikou Plumbing and Sanitary Ware National Foreign Trade Transformation and Upgrading Base opened (provided by the Shuikou Town Government)

The development of Kaiping’s plumbing and sanitary ware industry in the new era will seize the major opportunities of the construction of the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and the Pilot Demonstration Area of Socialism with Chinese Characteristics, implementing the goals of the provincial Party Committee and the provincial government on promoting high-quality development of manufacturing, as well as the work deployment of the municipal Party Committee and the municipal government on developing the metal products (plumbing and sanitary ware) industry. With the goal of creating new advantages for industrial development, focusing on high-end, intelligent, and green directions, prioritizing the strategy of enhancing the added value of the industrial chain, it will develop a number of leading enterprises, build a number of independent brands, strengthen “bringing in” and “going global,” enhance high-value-added segments such as R&D design and brand marketing, and improve the plumbing and sanitary ware industrial chain integrating R&D, design, production, sales, and service. The aim is to build a domestically most influential and internationally well-known plumbing and sanitary ware industry agglomeration, providing solid support for the promotion of high-quality manufacturing development.

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