How does a lamp illuminate a hundred-billion industrial legend?

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Published : 2026-10-11

Author︰Huang Haoyi

Introduction

Did you know that the rice you eat every day, the toothbrush you use, and even the lighting fixtures in your home might come from Chinese towns whose names you have never heard? They may be little-known, but they play a crucial role in national and even global industrial chains. This series will explore the major manufacturing industries within the stories of these small towns, unveiling the mystery of these industrial kingdoms.

Guzhen Town of Zhongshan in Guangdong is the "Lighting Capital of China", famous at home and abroad, with lighting sales accounting for 70% of the national market and 50% of the global market, and annual sales exceeding 100 billion yuan.

How did this small town create a hundred-billion-yuan industry legend and become a dazzling source of light for the world?

The lighting capital of China

This Guzhen town in Zhongshan is located on the northwestern border of Zhongshan City, Guangdong, and is also at the junction of the three cities of Zhongshan, Jiangmen, and Foshan (Shunde District).

After nightfall in Guzhen, Zhongshan, both sides of the streets are lined with sparkling lights; the — After nightfall, both sides of the streets are lined with sparkling lights; this "Lighting Capital of China" truly lives up to its name. (Image Source: VCG)

This small town, with an area of 52.2 square kilometres and a population of about 230,000, has nonetheless gathered 38,000 lighting and related accessory enterprises, forming the largest professional lighting production base and wholesale market in the country.

The export trade of Guzhen, Zhongshan covers more than 180 countries and regions, and its foreign trade exports have maintained a growth of over 25% for three consecutive years, occupying half of the global market, making it the veritable "Lighting Capital of China".

Did it originate from two lamps brought back from HK?

Over 40 years ago, Guzhen Town in Zhongshan was just a small agricultural town, and its lighting industry originated in 1982 when a villager from Guzhen brought back two wall lamps from neighbouring Hong Kong and made a lamp by imitating them.

This became the beginning of lamp-making in Guzhen, and various "small lighting workshops" subsequently appeared, gradually developing from assembling parts and workshop processing into scaled production by small factories.

In 1995, the government designated the lighting industry as the pillar industry of Guzhen, Zhongshan, which sparked a boom in establishing lighting enterprises.

What truly brought Guzhen, Zhongshan, onto the world stage was the first China (Guzhen) International Lighting Fair held in 1999.

The lighting fixtures of Guzhen amazed merchants from 28 countries and regions who were drawn by its reputation, rapidly making the town famous.

This petal-shaped ceiling light, composed of over one million crystals and weighing 40 tonnes, showcases the charm of manufacturing in Guzhen, Zhongshan.

A chandelier made in Guzhen, Zhongshan, a chandelier made in Guzhen, Zhongshan, is encircled by gold rims, with a spiralling upward design, symbolising constant progress, and combines both artistic and practical qualities.

Another lighting fixture made in Zhongshan is composed of red handmade coloured glaze stones, its dazzling light and shadows shaped into rolling hills.

In 2002, the second Lighting Fair opened, and Guzhen, Zhongshan, earned the reputation of "China's Lighting Capital".

Subsequently, the Lighting Fair developed into a large-scale exhibition held twice a year, in spring and autumn.

In 2025, the spring and autumn Lighting Fairs featured over 2,000 exhibitors, attracted over 300,000 visitors, and secured a total contracted investment of over 5.5 billion RMB, consolidating Guzhen's status as the "World Lighting and Fixtures Exhibition and Trade Centre".

At the biannual Guzhen International Lighting Fair held in spring and autumn, exhibitors display various unique lighting fixtures, attracting many Chinese and foreign businesses to place orders. — At the Guzhen Lighting Fair, held every spring and autumn, exhibitors showcase a variety of unique lighting products, attracting many Chinese and foreign merchants to place orders. (Image Source: VCG)

How did a single lamp transform into a lighting kingdom?

Why was a small town in Guangdong able to break through and become the "Lighting Capital"? This is related to its unique geographical advantages.

Located in the western Pearl River Delta, right at the junction of Zhongshan, Foshan, and Jiangmen, and near Guangzhou, Shenzhen, Hong Kong and Macao, Guzhen Town, Zhongshan, is not only close to the vast real estate, infrastructure, and home decoration markets of the Greater Bay Area, but is also conveniently connected to ports and airports, allowing it to take on domestic and international orders.

In Guzhen, Zhongshan, there are as many as 38,000 lighting shops of all sizes, and lighting sales account for 70% of the national market and 50% of the global market.

Guzhen, Zhongshan is famous for its lighting industry, with numerous lighting shops of all sizes and large lighting centres.

The streets of Guzhen, Zhongshan, are filled with decorative lights of different shapes and colours.

In terms of the raw material supply chain, the area surrounding Guzhen has a cluster of upstream supporting enterprises for metal processing, plastic moulding, glass products, electrical components, packaging, and printing.

Most raw materials and components can be procured within the province, or even within a "one-hour drive", forming a low-cost and fast-response supply circle.

In addition, Guzhen is home to large professional lighting markets such as Huayi Plaza, Star Alliance, and Lihe Lighting Expo Centre, which allows for a high concentration of design, manufacturing, exhibition, sales, and logistics.

Purchasers say that "by visiting one town, you can see most of the lighting styles from across the country", which strengthens its business attraction and clustering effect.

It is precisely this combination of "superior location + complete supply chain + high-density market" that has allowed Guzhen to gradually grow from a "small lighting workshop" into a global lighting industry kingdom.

How to move towards the "World's Lighting Capital"?

Over the past five years, the total economic output of Guzhen Town, Zhongshan has continued to grow, with its GDP (Gross Domestic Product) increasing from 11.76 billion RMB in 2020 to 17.78 billion RMB in 2025, achieving an average annual growth rate of 8.6%.

Despite these achievements, Guzhen has not stopped moving forward. Facing global competition and consumption upgrades, technologisation, intelligentisation, and green energy conservation have all become new directions for the development of the lighting industry.

Guzhen's promotion of intelligent transformation is not just about upgrading lighting fixtures, but also about innovating business models.

From the one-off sale of products where a single lighting fixture provides a bright environment, companies now integrate intelligent and energy-saving management with after-sales maintenance services, transforming enterprises from traditional lighting manufacturers into "light environment service providers", driving the overall enhancement of the industrial value chain.

In terms of greening, lighting companies in Guzhen have long since shifted from LED lights to deeper energy-saving and environmental protection measures.

This includes using high-efficiency heat dissipation materials such as aviation-grade aluminium, optimising optical designs to enhance light efficiency, and selecting recyclable materials to reduce packaging waste.

From energy conservation and emission reduction in the production process, green manufacturing is driving new competitiveness in the industry.

From making a simple lamp with a wire, a light bulb, and a stand, to creating a hundred-billion-yuan lighting industry, Guzhen took more than 40 years to transform from an agricultural town into high-quality development a miracle, mirroring the nation's development.

Guzhen, Zhongshan is now embracing the global lighting and fixtures industry with a more intelligent and greener approach, advancing towards becoming the "world capital of lighting and fixtures".

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