One in seven guitars worldwide is made in China’s Zheng’an County
Zheng’an County in southwest China’s Guizhou Province, once one of the poorest areas in the region, has become a major global guitar manufacturing hub. Today, around one in every seven guitars worldwide is made there.
The industry began to grow as local residents who had previously left for jobs in China’s coastal provinces returned home with experience in the musical instrument sector. In 2013, the Zheng brothers moved their production line back to Zheng’an and opened one of the county’s first major guitar factories.
A complete supply chain gradually formed around the manufacturers, covering strings, tuning machines, pickups, cases and packaging. Zheng’an is now home to more than 140 guitar makers and suppliers.
Together, they produce more than 2.5 million instruments a year, export to over 40 countries and regions, and support nearly 15,000 local jobs.
Local companies are also working to reduce dependence on imported tonewood. Bamboo and carbon-fiber composites are being tested as alternatives, offering greater resistance to humidity and easier transport.
Manufacturers are also developing their own brands, patents and original products, moving beyond contract manufacturing toward more innovative and independent production.
According to CCTV+, Zheng’an’s transformation shows how returning skilled workers, a growing industrial chain and technological innovation helped a once-impoverished mountain county enter the global musical instrument market.
