Cao County is located in southwestern Shandong Province and is a county under the jurisdiction of Heze City. It borders Henan Province and is also relatively close to Anhui and Jiangsu Provinces. Cao County's three pillar industries are as follows:
1. Asparagus Industry
Asparagus is one of the three pillar industries of Caoxian County. Asparagus has been cultivated in Caoxian for over 40 years, and the current planting area has reached over 150,000 mu (approximately 10,000 hectares), accounting for one-sixth of the national asparagus planting area. Furthermore, the county's unique geographical location provides an ideal growing environment for asparagus, resulting in high-quality asparagus that is highly sought after in the market.
2. Hanfu Industry
Caoxian County's second pillar industry is Hanfu (traditional Han clothing), which is very popular among women. According to data provided by the Bureau of Commerce, in 2020, online sales of Hanfu in Caoxian County exceeded 15.6 billion yuan, with over 5,000 e-commerce companies, including more than 100 stores with sales exceeding 10 million yuan. Furthermore, 1,200 of the top 2,000 Hanfu online stores nationwide are located in Caoxian. Currently, Caoxian has developed into my country's largest Hanfu production base.
3. Coffin Industry
According to data from the Caoxian Forestry Bureau , Caoxian accounts for 90% of the Japanese market for coffins. Coffins exported to Japan are divided into two types: wooden coffins and cloth coffins. Making a Japanese coffin requires more than 200 parts and involves more than a dozen processes in the factory, mainly done by hand. Each coffin costs between several hundred and several thousand yuan.
Cao County has a long history of coffin making, which locals call "doing celebratory work." During the Song Dynasty, its coffins were already famous throughout the Central Plains. Many families have passed down their craft for generations, resulting in high-quality coffins. From drying and processing the wood to packaging the finished product, the people of Cao County strictly control every step of the coffin-making process.
