From Contract Manufacturing to Incubating Trendy Chinese IP, Domestic Toy Enterprises' Overseas Debut: Tens of Boxes of Goods Sold Out on the First Day

What are the secrets behind the explosive success of AI潮玩’s first overseas debut?

Yanchuang Cultural EMMA Secret Realm Forest Red Berry Series.

Dalong Culture Mushroom Luli Series.

Yanchuang Cultural Lulu Spirit Series.

In recent years, Dongguan’s toy industry has accelerated into a new stage of high-quality development—“intelligent manufacturing.” Photo provided by Xuanjiao Cultural, Sports, Tourism Office, Shijie Town.

Editor’s Note

From the era marks of “Pearl River water, Guangdong grains, Lingnan clothing, Guangdong home appliances” to today’s global breakthrough in smart terminals, high-end equipment, cultural and creative潮品, and green intelligent manufacturing, “Guang goods” have long shed the label of “cost performance” and are achieving iterative leaps from “manufacturing” to “intelligent manufacturing,” from “following” to “leading.”

Currently, the “Guang goods go global” movement is in full swing. As the core hinterland and innovation cradle of “Guang goods,” the Pearl River Delta writes the answer sheet of urban industrial upgrading with a batch of new Guang goods that combine technological sense, cultural flavor, and high quality.

Southern Metropolis Daily launched a special report “Legend of New Guang Goods,” exploring the industry secrets and innovation stories behind these new Guang goods in the Pearl River Delta, letting the global market hear the powerful voice of this era, and helping the “Guang goods go global” initiative deepen and solidify.

Just after the Year of the Horse Spring Festival, Dongguan Yanchuang Cultural Development Co., Ltd. (hereinafter “Yanchuang Culture”)'s production base in Shijie Town was humming with machines. Multiple original潮玩 were being packed and ready to ship worldwide. General Manager Huang Boling joked, “Now we are being urged by overseas clients to ship every day. The factory is running at full capacity but still can’t keep up.” Chen Xian, General Manager of Duolang Culture, also impressed by the company’s first overseas venture, said, “The dozens of boxes we took out were sold out on the exhibition day.”

Stories of潮玩 companies like Yanchuang Culture and Duolang Culture are vivid microcosms of Dongguan’s shift from “product going abroad” to “brand going abroad,” and reflect the true picture of the new era of “Guang goods going global.” The successful “comeback” of Dongguan潮玩 is no accident; behind it are the creativity of潮玩 enterprises, Dongguan’s manufacturing strength, the influence of traditional culture, and policy measures working in concert—together they have propelled潮玩 into the spotlight and told the story of “Made in China” and Chinese culture to more people.

From OEM to Brand Incubation: Chinese潮IP Making Waves Overseas

Global潮玩 look to China; Chinese潮玩 look to Dongguan; Dongguan潮玩 look to Shijie. Along Dongyuan Avenue, the two landmarks—China潮玩 Center and Manbo Center—shine like dazzling “twin stars” in the hot潮玩 industry hub of Shijie. As the town with the largest潮玩 industry output value and the most自主品牌, Shijie has gathered over 400潮玩 and toy manufacturing companies. The number of large-scale潮玩 enterprises increased from 20 in 2021 to 53 in 2025, a 165% increase. In just a few years, the total output value of Shijie’s潮玩 industry has risen steadily from 9.866 billion yuan in 2021 to 17.23 billion yuan in 2025, showing strong growth momentum.

Behind these figures is a silent industry transformation. Fuzhiyu Toys Co., Ltd. (hereinafter “Fuzhiyu”) is both a participant and witness of this change.

Cat Cat Dragon Year sold 500,000 units and became a Southeast Asian hit

Chen Xian of Duolang Culture told reporters that in earlier years, Fuzhiyu had OEMed for domestic original animation IP Ahli. It was this adorable red fox that helped Fuzhiyu enter the supply chain of Pop Mart. In 2020, Fuzhiyu became a OEM factory for Pop Mart, with orders from 52TOYS, Rolife, and others pouring in. Through collaborations with these leading潮玩 brands, Fuzhiyu discovered the value and high profits of original IPs and aimed to create its own IP.

“We have our own designers, technology, and team—why not develop our own original IP?” Chen Xian said. With this idea, Fuzhiyu began exploring the潮玩 track and launched its自主原创IP “GANA Gana.” Following the philosophy of inheriting Chinese style and continuous innovation, in 2023, the company combined “Shan Hai Jing” with潮玩 and launched the Guo Feng cultural IP “Twelve Inheritance Beasts” series, featuring the Nanhai Butterfly.

Unexpectedly, these dolls dressed in traditional Chinese Hanfu and with cute appearances quickly sparked market enthusiasm. In 2023, at the 21st China Toy Association Expo in Shanghai—the largest toy exhibition in Asia—the Nanhai Butterfly潮玩 was prominently displayed. Since then, Fuzhiyu has showcased “Nanhai Butterfly” at major domestic and international exhibitions, engaging with global clients and successfully bringing the Guo潮IP to the world stage.

“In just a few years, we have launched many popular original and co-branded IPs, including Mushroom Luli, Nanhai Butterfly, Bunny Dragon Fantasy Creatures, and Cat Cat Dragon, many of which are bestsellers abroad,” said the company. Currently, the popular IP Cat Cat Dragon series has sold 500,000 units annually and is a hot seller in Southeast Asia. The Mushroom Luli series, launched last October, has sold even more than the previous “hit” Cat Cat Dragon series in less than half a year.

Overseas market accounts for about 30% of total sales last year

On March 12, this year, at the “2026 Dongguan潮玩 & AI Toy ‘Yue Trade National’ Production and Sales Matchmaking” organized by Dongguan Toy and Baby Products Association, Fuzhiyu, as one of Dongguan’s high-quality local manufacturers, was featured in the “factory inspection” segment, hosting channel merchants, platform buyers, and influencers from across the country, attracting industry attention. “Channel merchants saw our automated production lines and quality control systems firsthand, and were very satisfied with our flexible ‘small order, quick response’ production capacity, laying a solid foundation of trust for future cooperation,” said a relevant person from Duolang Culture.

Fuzhiyu’s first overseas venture was also supported by government platforms. Chen Xian still vividly remembers that years ago, Guangdong led the “Yue Trade Global” series of events, which allowed companies to go abroad at relatively low costs. To explore new opportunities, Chen Xian and his team took their original潮玩 to Thailand for exhibitions. Initially not expecting much, they found that dozens of boxes of goods were sold out on the spot. That unforgettable experience made him realize that going abroad isn’t as difficult as imagined, and Chinese manufacturing products are highly accepted overseas.

“Now, our original brands have established cooperation with major domestic online and offline潮玩 channels and successfully entered overseas markets in Southeast Asia, Europe, and America. Last year, overseas sales accounted for about 30% of total sales, sometimes reaching 40% during peak periods,” Chen Xian said.

Committed to Original IP Creation, Driven by Innovation to Break Through潮玩

At Yanchuang Culture’s headquarters in Dongguan潮玩 Center, shelves are filled with original products like EMMA Secret Realm Forest, MISYA, MIO Cat, and more. Huang Boling is familiar with every exquisite doll on display.

Invests up to 10 million yuan annually to incubate new IPs

Regarding the爆火 of the original IP LUCKY EMMA, Huang Boling said, “We didn’t expect it. At first, we were worried the first generation wouldn’t be very popular and didn’t dare to produce too many.” She explained that the success of LUCKY EMMA is closely related to Yanchuang Culture’s years of experience in original IP development. “At that time, we noticed there was no潮玩 in Lolita style, so we decided to give it a try. EMMA Secret Realm Forest was designed with Nordic court style, incorporating elements young people like. The first blind box series, ‘Tea Party,’ received rave reviews, with monthly sales reaching 5,000 to 10,000 sets. In 2020 alone, this product sold 60,000 sets.”

“Since our founding, we’ve incubated over ten IPs, with more than ten exceeding 10 million yuan in sales, and three surpassing 100 million yuan,” Huang Boling said. She emphasized that for local潮玩原创IP to go viral, creativity is key. After EMMA’s success, she became even more determined to focus on原创IP development. “This is a creative industry. Consumer demands are constantly changing, and the潮玩 industry is continuously upgrading. Only good products that meet public aesthetics, evoke emotional resonance, and offer emotional value and good cost-performance will find the market.”

Huang Boling also pointed out that Yanchuang Culture’s core competitiveness lies in its ability to incubate and innovate new IPs. “We invest 5 to 10 million yuan annually in dedicated funds to incubate 3-5 new IP projects.”

Traditional Chinese culture nurtures原创IP

In Huang Boling’s view,潮玩 is about constantly creating new demands, integrating products with more ways of playing in the new era, and creating more needs for consumers. She also mentioned, “潮流 is like a gust of wind; you must respond quickly and seize the key moments in production and marketing to grasp development opportunities.” This is also a key reason why Yanchuang Culture established its headquarters in Dongguan潮玩 Center in 2024. “Shijie’s潮玩 industry belt is concentrated, with a supply chain capable of rapid response and quality assurance, which is very important for潮玩 enterprises.”

During the interview, Huang Boling also noted that the entire潮玩 industry currently faces “爆款焦虑” (hit product anxiety) and “品牌焦虑” (brand anxiety). How to keep原创IP vibrant and creative remains a real challenge. Her answer is “Create Chinese原创IP and tell Chinese cultural stories through潮玩.” She explained that Yanchuang Culture always draws from traditional Chinese culture, aesthetics, and even philosophy, then reinterprets them with contemporary design language and潮玩 forms. This requires the team not only to be skilled in design and market understanding but also to have cultural depth and empathy.

Yanchuang Culture’s success proves that this path is feasible: original IP rooted in Eastern aesthetics can occupy a place in the global潮玩 market and engage in dialogue with Western mainstream aesthetics. In 2023, Yanchuang Culture’s global toy sales exceeded 15 million units, making it an excellent case of Dongguan潮玩’s brand export. Currently, its overseas market share is growing, with domestic and overseas sales ratios reaching nearly 1:1, and annual sales reaching 100 million yuan. Its products are sold in 38 countries and regions across Southeast Asia, Europe, America, and Australia, covering 20,000 retail stores worldwide.

Annual Investment of Over 10 Million Yuan in Support, “潮玩 Small Town” Moving Toward “潮创” New Stage

With潮玩 popularity rising and concepts expanding, the global潮玩 market continues to grow. Dongguan Manchao Cultural and Creative Co., Ltd. (hereinafter “Manchao”) Chairman Ma Chuan’an told reporters that 2025 will be a crucial turning point for Manchao’s overseas expansion. The company has successfully taken its original IPs Miko and Youbu abroad and expanded into more than 20 countries worldwide. “This year, going overseas is our main task. We believe we can achieve over 100 million yuan in overseas sales.”

15-minute drive covers the entire潮玩 industry chain

Policy support is also crucial. Looking back, the development of Shijie’s潮玩 industry owes much to local policies. The distribution map of Shijie’s潮玩 industry shows that within a 5-kilometer radius and 15-minute drive from潮玩 Center, there is a complete industry chain from “design—prototyping—production—logistics—sales.” Companies bring drawings to Shijie to find factories; from design to mass production, the process can be shortened by 20 days. Riding the policy wave, Shijie has cultivated over 30自主品牌 enterprises and owns more than 120原创IP, with deep collaborations with international IPs like Disney and Marvel, gathering industry leaders like Chengshi, Langbowang, Manbo, Dapiang, and Yanchuang.

Looking at the whole city, Dongguan, known as the “潮玩 Capital of China,” has accelerated its toy industry into a new stage of high-quality “smart manufacturing,” transitioning from traditional OEM to自主品牌, and further integrating “IP incubation + creative design + intelligent R&D.” The deep integration of technology, culture, and潮玩 has fostered many new brands combining AI technology and潮流 creativity, with strong industry innovation momentum. By 2025, Dongguan’s toy and baby products exports are expected to reach 17.52 billion yuan, showcasing impressive industry results.

This year, further support will be given to AI design, prototyping, and other key links

According to the “2026 China潮玩 Consumption Demand Insight Report” released by Guangdong Toy Association潮玩 Branch, by 2026, China’s潮玩 market size will steadily approach the trillion-yuan level. As the “潮玩 Small Town,” how will Shijie continue to lead? At this year’s “潮玩 China” new product launch (spring) order meeting, Shijie Party Secretary Zhan Zhibin proposed to accelerate Shijie’s transformation from “潮玩 Small Town” to “潮创 Small Town,” aiming to become a resource hub for潮玩, a incubator for Guo潮 brands, a source of industry innovation, and a destination for consumer entertainment.

Specific measures include: “To invigorate the industry, Shijie invests over 10 million yuan annually to support潮玩 enterprises. Last year, we added another 5 million yuan to cover the entire chain from design and R&D to channel sales, brand promotion, and going abroad—to help enterprises solve ‘worries about the future’,” said a relevant official from Shijie’s Economic Development Bureau (Investment Coordination). “This year, we will continue to focus on the ‘smile curve’ of the潮玩 industry, promoting quality upgrades. We will also strengthen潮玩 ecological empowerment, focusing on core enterprise needs, and deepen support for AI design, professional talent services, cross-border exports, and other key links, accelerating the formation of a collaborative, diverse潮玩 industry ecosystem.”

Expert Suggestions

Gather潮玩 Design Talents to Build a “Canton Fair” for潮玩

“Dongguan has great potential in潮玩 development. Nearly 85% of domestic潮玩 products come from here, indicating a solid foundation,” said Li Yingfeng, Executive Chairman of the International潮玩 Cultural and Creative Industry Alliance, in an interview with Southern Metropolis Daily. He pointed out that Dongguan’s advantages lie in its strong manufacturing capacity and growing capital accumulation. Moving forward, pushing IP further and transforming production capacity into sales ability will better support Dongguan’s title as the “潮玩 Capital.”

Regarding current challenges, Li Yingfeng believes, “Dongguan is still at the bottom of the ‘smile curve,’ mainly on the production side, with insufficient investment in design and sales.” He further emphasized, “Talent is king. Only by gathering潮玩 and design talents can Dongguan’s潮玩 industry have more room to grow. On the sales side, I think a large-scale event similar to the Canton Fair, but centered on潮玩, could attract more buyers and industry players.” For the future of潮玩, he suggests integrating more IP with fashion, cosmetics, home goods, and electronics, and embedding them into everyday scenes and stories, so the industry can continue to evolve and IPs remain vibrant.

Legendary Secrets

To Make潮玩 More “Trendy,” Innovation in Play Methods Is Key

From plush toys in factory workshops to globally popular潮玩爆品; from solid technical foundations built through OEM to the booming潮玩 industry; from潮玩 going viral to brand overseas expansion—Dongguan’s潮玩 story is a true reflection of “Guang goods going global” and a vivid testament to Guangdong’s industry evolution towards new, quality-driven growth.

Guang goods going global is not just about excellent products but also about profound culture and relentless innovation. Behind the爆火 of Chinese original潮玩 IPs are the fertile industry soil, precise policy support, and the infusion of traditional culture into emerging industries.

In the future, to make潮玩 more “trendy,” enriching cultural expression and innovating play methods are essential. We believe that rooted in culture, driven by innovation, and represented by潮玩, the new Guang goods will go further, be more stable, and achieve greater success.

“Legend of New Guang Goods” Special Report

Planning: Liu Anran, Xie Jiangtao

Overall Coordination: He Yonghua, Liang Jindi

Reporting: Southern Metropolis Daily Reporter Huang Huiping

Photography: Southern Metropolis Daily Reporter Liu Mei (excluding credits)