Datang, Zhuji
Datang is a township-level district of the city of Zhuji (simplified Chinese: 诸暨; traditional Chinese: 諸暨; pinyin: Zhūjì) south of Hangzhou — the capital of Zhejiang Province — in the People's Republic of China.
History
The region around Zhuji has been settled since Neolithic times and was the origin of the Wuyue culture. During the Spring and Autumn Period, it was the birthplace of the legendary beauty Xi Shi. After the state of Yue was absorbed into the unification of China, Qin Shi Huang formally codified the boundaries of Zhuji as a county in 222 BC. This status remained intact until 1989, when the State Council reclassified Zhuji as a city.
Sock City
By the early 1980s, the township had a population of 1,000. Designated as an industrial development zone, it quickly developed as a hosiery industry centre, becoming known as Sock City. The town now produce 8 billion pairs of socks each year,[1] a third of the world's sock production, effectively creating two pairs of socks for every person on the planet on 2011.[2] As a result, the population has boomed to 60,000, with over 100,000 employed in the area in the industry via other local towns and villages.[1]
References
- ^ a b "Largest Sock Production Town in China". cri.cn. 2008-05-25. Retrieved 8 September 2012.
- ^ "Sock City's decline may reveal an unravelling in China's economy". The Guardian. 8 September 2012. Retrieved 8 September 2012.