Silk scarves produced by Xinyuan Group in Hai'an, Nantong. [Photo/Nantong Daily]

In the first quarter of 2025, Hai'an's cultural industry recorded a revenue of 3.74 billion yuan ($518.72 million), growing 22.4 percent year-on-year. This impressive performance highlights the city's success in blending traditional craftsmanship with modern innovation.

Among the leading contributors is Xinyuan Group, a leading Chinese silk company. The company has mastered the art of transforming traditional silk products—including silk quilts, scarves, embroidered garments, and elegant home textiles—into sought-after items that combine daily practicality with collectible value.

One standout creation features a reinterpretation of the iconic painting A Thousand Li of Rivers and Mountains, rendered in the style of verdant Chinese landscape art on premium 6A-grade mulberry silk. The design has led to a 20 percent increase in sales compared to similar items.

Hai'an has also made headlines in the museum world. On May 18, the city launched the "Scholar Kangxi" special exhibition—the first county-level collaboration with Art Exhibitions China. Over 60 rare artifacts from seven major institutions, including the Palace Museum and the China Grand Canal Museum, are on display. The exhibition has quickly turned the city into a trending cultural destination.

"This is more than a cultural initiative; it's a market-driven experiment," said Ji Jiaming, director of the Hai'an Museum. He noted that upcoming plans include study-tour programs and cultural markets, aimed at tapping into the growing potential of cultural consumption.

Meanwhile, innovation continues to reshape traditional crafts. Huayi Group has developed China's first intelligent robot production line for tie-dyeing. Since launching in September last year, the line has increased production efficiency sixfold and achieved millimeter-level precision.

According to Gu Ming, the artistic director, the AI-powered robots are capable of learning and evolving, replicating artisan movements with 95 percent accuracy. This breakthrough has enabled large-scale, automated production of dyed fabrics which appear to be handcrafted, drawing significant interest from both domestic and international buyers.