With winter fast approaching, many people have been buying qiuku, also known as thermal pants, in preparation for the cold weather, and this has in turn stimulated the economy of a small village called Yaojiapo in Tai'an, Shandong province.

Qiuku is a type of two-piece underwear with long pant legs and sleeves normally worn in cold weather. [Photo/sdnews.com.cn]

The village has a history of making qiuku for more than 30 years. In fact, 160 of the village's 370 households are making a living through this industry. Every year, over 50 million pairs of thermal pants worth about 100 million yuan ($14.7 million) are produced in the village.

Villagers pack thermal pants in Yaojiapo village, Tai'an, Shandong province [Photo/Chinanews.com]

Shi Xijun, secretary of the Party branch of the village, said that the village has formed a complete textile chain that spans knitting, dyeing and garment production.

"Thermal pants made in our village are of a low price but of a high quality," said Meng Zhaoyi, a 37-year-old villager in Yaojiapo. He added that other types of knitted products such as autumn clothes, underpants and thermal underwear are also being produced to meet the growing market demand. .

Villagers sew thermal pants at a workshop in Yaojiapo village, Tai'an, Shandong province. [Photo/Chinanews.com]

Zhang Feng, 38, a self-employed entrepreneur in the village who has been making thermal pants for more than 13 years, said that orders for products such as long trousers have been growing as the manufacturing equipment in the village has been greatly improved. The village Party branch secretary said that Yaojiapo village will eventually shift its focus to building a knitwear industrial park by establishing e-commerce brands and developing high-end services such as customization services.