Hangzhou
Description
Hangzhou, China is a growing scissor manufacturing hub known for mid-range professional shears. Learn about its factories, steel sourcing, and export market position.
Hangzhou (杭州, Zhejiang Province, China)
Quick look
- Country: China
- Heritage: Zhang Xiaoquan Company established 1628 — world’s oldest continuously operating scissors brand
- Historical distinction: Imperial tribute under Qianlong Emperor; 1915 Panama-Pacific International Exposition silver medal
- Cultural status: National intangible cultural heritage (国家非物質文化遺産)
- Modern output: 1,000+ product varieties
Why it matters
Hangzhou’s place in scissors history rests on a single extraordinary fact: the Zhang Xiaoquan company, founded here in 1628, is the world’s oldest continuously operating scissors brand. Nearly 400 years of unbroken production makes Zhang Xiaoquan older than most nations and virtually all other manufacturing companies in any industry. The brand has survived dynastic collapse, revolution, world wars, and the transition from imperial to modern China without ceasing production.
Zhang Xiaoquan scissors became imperial tribute goods under the Qianlong Emperor in the Qing Dynasty, meaning they were among the items deemed worthy of presentation to the emperor himself. This was not a ceremonial honour — it reflected a genuine assessment that these were the finest scissors produced in China. In 1915, Zhang Xiaoquan scissors won a silver medal at the Panama-Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco, bringing international recognition to a brand that had already been operating for nearly three centuries.
Cultural heritage
Zhang Xiaoquan’s traditional scissors-making techniques have been designated a national intangible cultural heritage (国家非物質文化遺産) by the Chinese government. This status places the company’s craft knowledge alongside other protected traditional arts and recognises its significance to Chinese manufacturing history.
Mao Zedong mentioned Zhang Xiaoquan by name in a 1956 speech about the importance of preserving traditional Chinese crafts and brands during the country’s industrialisation. The reference underscores how deeply embedded the brand is in China’s cultural identity — few scissors manufacturers anywhere in the world have been acknowledged by a head of state.
Key manufacturers / brands
Zhang Xiaoquan (張小泉) today produces over 1,000 product varieties spanning household scissors, kitchen tools, and professional implements. The company has modernised its production while maintaining connections to traditional techniques. Zhang Xiaoquan’s story represents the rare case of a scissors manufacturer whose historical significance rivals or exceeds that of any competitor globally, including the heritage brands of Seki and Solingen.
The company’s focus remains primarily on household and kitchen scissors rather than professional hairdressing shears. Its inclusion here reflects its unmatched historical importance to the global scissors industry rather than its current presence in the salon market.
| See also: Yangjiang | Zhangjiagang |