On September 27, the first Western China Pearl Industry Development Conference &Jewelry Expo opened in Kaijiang County, Sichuan. The event is co-hosted by the Pearl Branch of the Gem &Jewelry Trade Association of China, the Gem &Jewelry Trade Association of Sichuan, and the Sichuan Arts and Crafts Trade Association, and will run through October 8. On the opening day, the Western China Pearl Industrial Park officially commenced operations in Renshi Town, Kaijiang County.

The event serves as a comprehensive showcase spanning all jewelry categories. Featuring dedicated zones for branded collections, pearls, jadeite, colored gemstones, diamond, and gold jewelry, the conference brings together 200 jewelry companies representing both established domestic and international names, as well as emerging design talents, catering to diverse consumer preferences.

The event facilitates high-level industry dialogue, gathering renowned experts and entrepreneurs from pearl cultivation, processing, and sales sectors across China in Kaijiang to pool wisdom and resources for western China's pearl industry development.

The event serves as a docking platform integrating the entire supply-demand chain. Leveraging this conference, Kaijiang is establishing a B2B platform that connects manufacturers, wholesalers, and retailers, facilitates efficient upstream-downstream collaboration in the industrial chain, and promotes deal-making and long-term partnerships.

The event serves as a catalyst for accelerating the integrated development of Kaijiang's pearl industry across primary, secondary, and tertiary sectors. Kaijiang ranks first in western China in both breeding scale and output of freshwater non-nucleated pearl mussels. The county aims to forge a new tripodal structure for China's pearl industry—with Zhuji in Zhejiang in the east, Shenzhen in Guangdong in the south, and Kaijiang in Sichuan in the west—while making every effort to build a western clustered pearl cultivation belt centered on Kaijiang.

Driving Development: Industrial Park Sets Benchmark for Western China's Pearl Industry

On the morning of September 27, attendees toured the full industrial chain ecosystem of pearls (and jewelry), followed by participation in the opening ceremony of the Western China Pearl Industry Development Conference &Jewelry Expo. During the opening ceremony, the "Xizhu" (literally translated as Western Pearls) regional public brand was officially unveiled and launched.

On the afternoon of September 27, the Western China Pearl Industry Development Symposium was held, bringing together industry leaders and experts from pearl associations and higher education institutions nationwide. Participants engaged in discussions covering topics such as industry trends, market analysis, technical exchange, and brand development in the pearl and jewelry sector.

Participants noted that in terms of the development prospects of the pearl industry, Dazhou's pearl sector is poised to become both a new engine and benchmark for Sichuan's specialized agricultural development. On-site observations confirmed three distinctive features: full industrial chain development, agriculture-culture-tourism integration, and industrial-cultural-tourism synergy, positioning the pearl industry in Dazhou as a model project for integrated culture-tourism development and rural revitalization.

The entire event was hosted at the newly built Western China Pearl Industrial Park. As the first full-industry-chain complex in western China integrating pearl cultivation, processing, sales, and cultural tourism, the park spans 85 mu (approximately 5.7 hectares) with a floor area of 36,000 square meters. Its layout comprises three core sections—exhibition and retail, wholesale trading, and production—plus eight specialized zones for pearls, jadeite, gemstones, and other categories, complemented by supporting services including authentication centers, jade-carving master studios, live-streaming e-commerce bases, and smart logistics warehouses.

In developing and operating the Western China Pearl Industrial Park, Kaijiang County has established a clear governance framework: "government guidance in policy formulation, state-owned enterprise leadership in park construction, and private sector primacy in operations". The county has rolled out multiple supportive policies, including the Eight Measures for Promoting Integrated Rice-Fishery Farming and Several Measures for Supporting the Pearl (Jewelry) Industry in Kaijiang County, strengthening policy support across all segments from cultivation expansion and park operation to brand promotion and talent acquisition. The park operates under a collaborative model led by chain-master enterprise Kaijiang Minsheng Fishery Development Co., Ltd., with joint operation by resident enterprises. By securing raw material procurement contracts with major aquaculture producers and attracting over 30 renowned industry players, including OSM, to establish operations, the park will systematically promote the formation of a pearl industry cluster with a complete chain.

Kaijiang County will leverage its advantage as a pearl origin hub to build core competencies across processing, distribution, and cultural tourism, while extending the value chain to incorporate other jewelry categories such as jadeite, gemstones, and gold. Through expanding into accessory R&D, manufacturing, wholesale, and brand management, the county aims to develop a vibrant fashion accessories sector, strive to establish a fashion jewelry industry cluster in western China with a rich variety of products and a complete industrial chain, and set new benchmarks for the western pearl industry.

Confidence and Competitive Edge: Leading Western China in Both Breeding Scale and Output

Kaijiang's selection as the host city of the conference is no coincidence. After nearly a decade of development, the local pearl industry has established substantial foundational capacity and competitive advantages. A relevant official from the Kaijiang County People's Government introduced that Kaijiang is a pilot county for national comprehensive rural reform, a national pilot zone for green agricultural development, and a national-level demonstration zone for healthy and ecological aquaculture, celebrated for its idyllic reputation as "Poetry and Dreams · Pastoral Kaijiang".

Since 2017, Kaijiang County has introduced commercial operators to develop aquaculture for species like crayfish and Chinese mitten crabs, gradually expanding to pearl mussels. This has evolved into a "Three-Dimensional Eco-Aquaculture Model" featuring surface-level pearl mussel suspension, mid-water fish farming, and bottom-dwelling crab cultivation. Today, "Kaijiang Crayfish" and "Kaijiang Chinese Mitten Crab" have obtained national geographical indication certification, and the county leads western China in both breeding scale and output of freshwater non-nucleated pearl mussels, with jewelry-grade pearls reaching up to six percent of total production.

This achievement stems from Kaijiang's strategic advantages in developing its pearl industry—favorable timing, ideal location, and strong human collaboration.

Favorable Timing. Kaijiang lies at 31°N latitude, where the temperate and humid climate creates one of the most suitable environments for pearl mussel growth. Industrial restructuring in eastern coastal regions has prompted a gradual relocation of pearl cultivation, creating strategic opportunities for Kaijiang to develop its pearl farming sector.

Ideal Location. Kaijiang's flat terrain has earned it the name "Eastern Sichuan's Small Plain". Its distinctive landscape follows a "three-tenths hills, micro water bodies, and seven-tenths farmland" distribution. The area's 20,600 mu (approximately 1,373.3 hectares) of pond water features generally hard water rich in minerals, providing an optimal environment for pearl mussel cultivation.

Human Collaboration. Kaijiang has vigorously developed the entire pearl industry chain, implementing practical incentives and measures from cultivation to processing. The county has introduced pearl processing enterprises through investment promotion and leveraged leading companies to provide training on nucleus insertion. As a result, its base of industrial workers has been continuously expanding. To bolster talent development for the pearl sector, Kaijiang has also established partnerships with leading institutions, including Shanghai Ocean University, Zhejiang Ocean University, China University of Geosciences, and Guangdong Ocean University, collaborating to build multiple research and development platforms.

Kaijiang County has developed over 17,000 mu (approximately 1,133.3 hectares) of pearl mussel cultivation area, forming key aquaculture clusters centered in Renshi, Gantang, Pu'an, and Huilong towns. Annual pearl production reaches 30.8 metric tons, with the proportion of jewelry-grade pearls significantly exceeding industry averages.

For years, Kaijiang has closely integrated industrial development with village employment and income growth, implementing a "workshops in villages, jobs at doorsteps" model. Through full-chain development spanning mussel breeding, suspended cultivation, nucleus insertion, harvesting, and pearl processing, the county has tangibly boosted villagers' incomes.

Chained Development: Advancing Integrated Growth Across Primary, Secondary, and Tertiary Sectors

Hosting this conference both demonstrates Kaijiang's achievements in developing its full pearl industry chain and marks a new starting point for the chain's future growth.

Kaijiang's pearl mussel farming area of over 17,000 mu includes a 500-mu (approximately 33.3 hectares) breeding base supplying high-quality juvenile mussels countywide, achieving 100 percent self-sufficiency in seed stock. The county has established an aquaculture development center and a modern rice-fishery research institute. Leveraging the 2024 Central Government Fisheries Green Circular Development Pilot Project, it has pioneered green circular development models such as three-dimensional mussel-crab co-cultivation, demonstrating mature and specialized expertise in freshwater non-nucleated pearl farming.

Moving forward, Kaijiang will continue to expand suspended pearl mussel cultivation, introduce local standards for pearl farming, and collaborate with neighboring districts and counties on joint pearl aquaculture initiatives. The county's pearl mussel cultivation area is projected to exceed 20,000 mu (approximately 1,333.3 hectares) within two years, with an additional 10,000 mu (approximately 666.7 hectares) developed in neighboring districts through regional synergy, bringing the total cultivation area across Dazhou City to over 30,000 mu (2,000 hectares).

To thoroughly advance the deep and refined processing of agricultural products, Kaijiang has conducted a comprehensive analysis of its pearl industry foundations, market scale, and development prospects. Building on agricultural cultivation, the county is now actively expanding into pearl processing, trading, and cultural tourism—forming an integrated pearl (jewelry) industrial chain that combines farming, processing, sales, and cultural experiences. This strategic focus on the industrial park serves as the pivotal move to activate the entire industrial chain.

For business formats, Kaijiang is vigorously developing multiple sectors and scenarios, including live-streamed mussel opening, pearl-themed study tours, exhibition-sales tourism, jewelry-making experiences, and customized pearl accessories—advancing the tripartite integration of cultivation, processing, and cultural tourism.

On talent development, Kaijiang County is collaborating with the aforementioned universities on talent recruitment, while integrating resources from government, academia, industry, enterprises, and research institutions to establish the Western China Pearl Industry College.

In science and technology, Kaijiang has established a government-industry-university-research strategic alliance with the Pearl Branch of the Gem &Jewelry Trade Association of China, Guangdong Ocean University, and Guangdong Shaohe Pearl Co., Ltd. The partnership focuses on developing next-generation pearl cultivation technologies to enhance pearl luster, size, roundness, and added value.

This conference serves not only as a centralized showcase of jewelry products but also as a vital platform for industrial convergence, innovation-driven development, and cultural expression.

Moving forward, Kaijiang County will leverage the competitive edge of its fashion jewelry processing cluster within the Western China Pearl Industrial Park to amplify industrial spillover effects. The county aims to build a ten-billion-yuan jewelry industry cluster while strengthening mechanisms that foster cooperative links within the chain and help farmers increase their income, thereby injecting strong impetus into the growth of farmers' income.