In 2023, Pingyang released the “2023 Key Work Points for the Development of a Child-Friendly City in Pingyang County,” focusing on “viewing the city from a child’s perspective.” The initiative centers on the development of a child-friendly city by leveraging the industrial strengths related to children’s daily needs, such as clothing, food, and transportation, to continually enhance the industrial ecosystem and infuse new energy into creating a child-friendly environment.

As of September 2023, Pingyang is home to 25 large-scale enterprises engaged in child-friendly industries, including sectors like food and apparel, with an annual output value exceeding 3.6 billion yuan last year.

“Tailored” Services for Comfortable and Well-Fitting Children’s Apparel

Adopting a child’s perspective to invigorate corporate growth and focus on children’s needs, apparel companies such as George White School Uniform Co., Ltd., and Wenzhou Yimeiting Knitted Clothing Co., Ltd. are supported and encouraged to continually advance the development of children’s clothing and accelerate their transformation into child-friendly enterprises.

“We approach the optimization of school uniform production from an industry-driven perspective, offering a wide range of styles and sizes to meet the diverse clothing needs of children across age groups,” explained a representative from George White School Uniform Co., Ltd. The company collaborates with institutions such as Donghua University, the Sino-French ESMOD Fashion Design School at Shanghai University of Engineering Science, and Zhejiang Sci-Tech University to enhance the design and concepts of children’s school uniforms. This approach encompasses cultural values, aesthetics, and individual preferences, aiming to “tailor high-quality, affordable uniforms for every student.”

In 2019, George White established a testing center, becoming the first CNAS-certified laboratory in the apparel industry to ensure that uniform fabrics meet international safety standards. Over the years, the company has developed a unique pre-research system for fabric development, requiring all uniform fabrics to undergo a series of rigorous procedures, including R&D, intensive testing, fabric inspection, and finished product testing. This ensures that every school uniform complies with, or even surpasses, the stringent national standard GB/T 31888. Additionally, George White incorporates functional design elements into its uniforms, such as zip covers to prevent pinching, adjustable pant hems, and reflective strips for enhanced nighttime safety.

As the new school term begins, George White School Uniforms, a leading supplier in the school uniform market, has established a presence across various campuses, accompanying generations of students as they grow. To date, George White has partnered with over 3,000 schools, providing uniforms for more than 3 million students.

Technological Advancements Support Children’s Diets to Be Both Delicious and Healthy

Recently, Zhejiang Yiming Food Co., Ltd. held a media briefing and tasting session for its nutritional breakfast products in Hangzhou, where the “Yangtze River Delta Student Breakfast Market Consumption Insights Report” was released. Drawing on the report’s findings, Yiming initiated the Nutritional Breakfast 3.0 Upgrade Plan, aimed at further optimizing the scientific balance between ingredients and nutrition.

As one of the first pilot enterprises for child-friendly development in Wenzhou City, Yiming is actively engaging in the “Three Initiatives” for building a child-friendly industrial ecosystem, enhancing brand value, and fostering innovation in the cultural and tourism sectors. Focusing on the needs of children’s growth, Yiming integrates child-friendly principles into its corporate development and continuously upgrades its child-friendly brand.

“We are dedicated to providing fresh, delicious, and healthy food for children to support their healthy development,” noted a Yiming representative. The company employs a fully integrated industrial development model, establishing a quality management system that prioritizes safety and freshness. It has obtained various certifications, including the “Xuezi Label,” the “Pinzi Label,” and the “National Premium Dairy Project,” as well as the Provincial Government’s Quality Management Innovation Award.

In November 2021, Yiming established a Children’s Nutrition Division, targeting students’ nutritional needs to develop a range of children’s nutrition-focused products. This led to the launch of MilkiePOP, a new concept milk-based food brand for children. The brand emphasizes the use of natural ingredients over flavoring agents, advocating for a healthy, additive-free approach. It aims to reimagine “dairy as a snack” and promote “snacks that are both healthy and functional,” meeting children’s preferences for flavor while also satisfying their nutritional needs.

As the child-friendly “one-meter perspective” is increasingly applied, companies such as Rousselot (Wenzhou) Gelatin Co., Ltd. are accelerating their production and research efforts in children’s food. In the foreseeable future, the production of children’s food in our county is expected to become more scientific, balanced, and diverse.

IP Integration Connects Children’s Themed Educational Travel Routes

This past summer, Zhejiang Hongcun Camp in Fengwo Town was bustling with activities. Programs such as the “Warm Hearts, Dream Big in the Police Camp” Summer Camp for Children of Police Officers, “Red Youth Welcome the Asian Games – 2023 Pingyang County Red-Themed Summer Camp,” and the “Children Welcome the Asian Games, Sci-Tech Shapes the Future” Red-Themed Science Summer Camp for primary and secondary students were held one after another.

Fengwo Town, under the theme “Pursuing Red Memories, Children Inheriting the Red Spirit,” has centered its efforts on the “Six Friendliness Initiatives.” The town consistently focuses on making public spaces and facilities more child-friendly, involving community partnerships to establish child-friendly venues like the Zhejiang Hongcun Research and Study Camp, thereby creating a tangible child-friendly atmosphere in Fengwo.

Zhejiang Hongcun Camp is equipped with child-focused spaces, including a Red-Themed Study Classroom, Creative Workshop, Handicraft Zone, Outdoor Activity Area, and Agricultural Experience Garden. A total of 45 child-friendly features have been added, such as child-sized restrooms, child-friendly guides, wayfinding signs, and safety notices. Renovations have enhanced child-centric facilities, with two Red-Themed venues offering participatory spaces where child volunteers act as camp guides. Interactive sections, such as “Knowledge Quizzes” and “Find the Differences in Comics,” have been introduced to meet the needs of child-friendly experiences. Leveraging its unique “Red” historical and cultural significance, the camp organizes activities that are suitable for children’s physical and mental development, combining education, entertainment, hands-on experience, practicality, and inclusivity.

These efforts showcase Pingyang’s success in integrating cultural IP into children’s cultural tourism, effectively linking themed educational travel routes for young learners.

In recent years, Pingyang has thoroughly explored its local cultural resources, accelerating innovation in the children’s cultural tourism sector and developing child-friendly venues. With the support of facilities like the Subuqing Inspirational Education Hall, Math Wonder Hall, Nanji Ocean Hall, and Pingyang Science and Technology Museum, the county has focused on family tourism, parent-child study tours, and other child-friendly cultural tourism activities. Moreover, the development of children’s content modules and support services for cultural tourism projects has resulted in a range of child-friendly cultural and creative products. Pingyang also encourages the creation of children’s literary and artistic works, promoting “Red Education,” inspirational learning, and friendly education, effectively fostering deep integration between child-friendly principles and the county’s cultural tourism industry as part of its pursuit of common prosperity.