Guizhou by the Numbers: Innovation Takes Mountain Industries Global

GUIYANG, China, Sept. 9, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- This is a news report from Guizhou Daily: 

One in every five cups of high-quality matcha worldwide comes from Jiangkou County in southwest China's Guizhou Province. One in every 10 shuttlecocks is made in Jinping County, while Tongren produces about one-quarter of the world's ternary precursor materials, a key component in the supply chain for lithium-ion batteries used in electric vehicles and other new-energy applications.

Behind those figures is a province where difficult terrain has long shaped economic development. Guizhou is one of China's most mountainous regions, and improving transport links has been crucial to connecting its resources and industries with markets beyond the province.

Today, more than 30,000 bridges cross its mountainous landscape. They include the Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge, the world's highest bridge, and the Pingtang Bridge, whose 332-metre central tower is the world's tallest reinforced-concrete bridge tower.

Together with an expanding road network, these bridges have reduced some of the geographical barriers that once made it difficult for local communities and industries to reach larger markets.

Innovation Drives Manufacturing and Matcha Production

At the Zhazuo plant of Guizhou Tyre Co., Ltd., digital technology is reshaping a traditional manufacturing industry.

The facility joined the World Economic Forum's Global Lighthouse Network in 2025, becoming the first plant in China's tyre industry to receive the designation. The network recognises manufacturing sites that have deployed advanced technologies at scale.

More than 40 automated guided vehicles, or AGVs, move materials around the plant, while an AI-powered system can complete X-ray inspections in two seconds. Robotic arms can produce a tyre bead in 25 seconds. A fully connected 5G network runs across the production process, helping improve efficiency and reduce energy use.

Innovation is also transforming a much older industry in Jiangkou County.

Drawing on the ecological conditions around Mount Fanjing, a UNESCO World Heritage Site known for its biodiversity, Guizhou Gui Tea Group Co., Ltd. has developed what the company describes as the world's largest single-site matcha refining facility.

Its four automated production lines have increased production efficiency by 40 percent while reducing energy consumption by 25 percent.

In 2025, matcha sales exceeded 2,500 tonnes, ranking first in China and second globally, according to local figures. The company also exported 16 tonnes of matcha to Japan during the year, notable because Japan has long been one of the countries most closely associated with matcha production and consumption.

Local Resources, Global Supply Chains

Guizhou is also using its mineral resources to develop a more integrated new-energy materials industry.

Tongren has substantial manganese resources and is home to major manufacturers, including CNGR Advanced Material Co., Ltd. The city has developed an industrial chain covering raw-material processing, battery materials and recycling.

According to local industry data, ternary precursor materials produced in Tongren account for about 26 percent of the global market. Ternary precursors are used to produce cathode materials, one of the key components of lithium-ion batteries, including those that power many electric vehicles.

In Jinping County, meanwhile, a very different product has also found its way into global markets: shuttlecocks.

Led by badminton equipment manufacturer RSL, the county has developed what local authorities describe as the world's largest shuttlecock production base, with products exported to more than 60 countries.

The industry extends well beyond the factory floor. Upstream, ecological goose farming involves around 16,000 rural households and generates more than 1 billion yuan (about US$140 million) in output value. Goose feathers provide the raw material for shuttlecock production, linking rural farming directly with the manufacturing supply chain.

Downstream, Jinping is expanding into sports tourism and educational programmes, allowing the badminton industry to generate economic activity beyond manufacturing and create additional sources of income for local communities.

From the Mountains to Global Markets

Taken together, the figures show how an inland province once constrained by difficult terrain is becoming more closely connected to national and global markets.

Bridges and roads provide physical connections. Digital technology is changing traditional manufacturing. Local agricultural and mineral resources are being incorporated into longer industrial chains, while products made in Guizhou are reaching consumers and manufacturers overseas.

From matcha and tyres to battery materials and sporting goods, Guizhou's industries offer a look at how specialised production in China's mountainous interior is becoming part of wider global supply chains.

source: Guizhou Daily