If you've never visited this small city, you'd never guess that gemstones could be so affordable.
Inside commercial buildings characteristic of the 1990s, pigeon-egg-sized gemstones are sold by the piece, and sparkling crystals are sold in bulk.
A seemingly ordinary local, perhaps an elderly gentleman with a modest appearance, might carry a backpack filled with finely cut diamonds.
Upon closer inspection, you'll find the price: 9.9 yuan.
This city, which sells gemstones at bargain prices, is called Wuzhou, known as the "World Capital of Lab-Grown Gemstones."
Wuzhou single-handedly supplies 70% of the world's lab-grown gemstones.
In Wuzhou, you can buy the latest Swarovski-style bracelets at rock-bottom prices.
Rappers who love wearing extravagant fur coats can also get their hands on the flashiest pendants for just a few hundred yuan.
With Wuzhou silently working in the background, the bling adorning American rappers and Middle Eastern magnates often bears the label "Made in Wuzhou."
Just outside Wuzhou, there's even a gemstone-shaped tower that proudly displays its unique status to the world.
From the Decline of "Little Hong Kong" to the World Gemstone Capital
This city, which sells gemstones at such affordable prices, has experienced its own ups and downs.
Before the railways were built, Wuzhou, located at the confluence of three rivers, was a vital transportation hub connecting Guangdong and Guangxi. A bustling trade center, it earned the nickname "Little Hong Kong" due to its thriving commerce.
However, with the construction of the Liuzhou-Zhanjiang Railway bypassing Wuzhou, the city's prosperity gradually waned.
Wuzhou's export volume rapidly plummeted from 70% of Guangxi's total to less than 20%.
Unlike the prosperous Pearl River Delta, the scenic Guilin, or the historic Maoming, Wuzhou, deprived of its transportation hub status, slowly faded into obscurity.
Wuzhou's turning point came at a fortuitous and timely moment.
In the early days of China's reform and opening-up, a Hong Kong jeweler named Cui Fuming arrived in Wuzhou.
Seeing the city's low labor costs, he decided to relocate his jewelry factory from Guangzhou to Wuzhou.
For the first time, the people of Wuzhou witnessed the allure of the lab-grown gemstone processing industry.
The establishment of the first gemstone factory quickly sparked a chain reaction.
Numerous jewelers from Hong Kong and Taiwan flocked to Wuzhou, opening factories and hiring workers, bringing with them technology, equipment, and orders.
Suddenly, Wuzhou's streets and alleys were filled with factories, and the sound of grinding machines roared everywhere.
The once forlorn "Little Hong Kong" began to shine with the light of lab-grown gemstones.
The abundance of gemstones in Wuzhou attracted buyers from across the country, and the gemstones, through the hands of Hong Kong and Taiwanese merchants, found their way to markets around the world.
Thus, the title of the "World Capital of Lab-Grown Gemstones" was established.