In recent years, Chinese cultural elements have gained significant popularity in the global market, creating a vital window for the world to view China. Seizing this new opportunity for cultural export, Donghai County in Lianyungang City has leveraged the small size, light weight, and easy display characteristics of artificial press-on nails. It has transformed them into artisanal products capable of carrying China's diverse cultural heritage. By strengthening cross-border e-commerce, the county is presenting a cultural calling card from the fingertips to the world. Data shows that Donghai's handmade press-on nail products have been sold in over 30 countries and regions globally, with the county's cross-border transaction volume reaching 6 billion yuan in 2025.
Creating Phenomenal IPs with Breakout Products
By keenly capturing aesthetic preferences and emotional demands under new consumption trends, Donghai has deeply integrated hot events, traditional culture, and regional culture into its press-on nail products. In recent years, it has launched several phenomenal IPs, achieving "product breakout and brand breakthrough."
Traditional culture has come alive on the fingertips, radiating new vitality. In 2023, the short drama "Escape from the British Museum" went viral. Donghai's press-on nail enterprise, Tuhua Nail Art, combined this cultural concept to launch a themed product line of the same name, condensing the patriotic sentiments and cultural nostalgia behind cultural relics onto the fingernails. This product gained attention on overseas platforms like TikTok and Instagram, with many international users commenting, "I never realized Chinese art could be so stunning."
Seizing hot trends to drive innovation and lead consumption. During the 2026 Jiangsu Provincial City Football League, the "One City, One Nail Art" themed press-on nails attracted widespread attention, sparking a "new fashion" in event-related consumption. The Nanjing design incorporated the Bixie mythical beast and the Ming city wall, the Suzhou design paired auspicious lions with Jiangnan elegance, and the Lianyungang design combined coastal characteristics... Each city had its own exclusive "armor," attracting numerous tourists to make purchases.
The birth of these hit products is no accident. Donghai boasts over 300 design and production teams, combining fashion sensitivity with craftsmanship heritage. This has turned the small canvas of a nail into a new carrier for personal expression and cultural identity. In the comment sections for the "Jiangsu Super League" themed products, remarks like "Cheering for the Jiangsu Super League" and "Amazing creativity" continuously flooded the screen. Many products have also gained favor from overseas audiences. Notably, the renowned American singer Adam Lambert was delighted and full of praise after receiving a gift of Donghai press-on nails from a Chinese friend.
Cultural Fusion Injects Vitality into Products
Culture is the core that allows hit products to "break out." Donghai persists in promoting the creative transformation and innovative development of culture. By integrating diverse cultural elements and traditional intangible cultural heritage skills into the entire design and production process of press-on nails, it strives to upgrade products from "fast-moving consumer goods" to "art pieces."
On one hand, it delves deep into the fusion innovation of "intangible cultural heritage skills + diverse cultures." For instance, drawing inspiration from traditional culture, elements like filigree enamel, cloisonné, and blue-and-white porcelain are deeply integrated with trendy "Guochao" (China-chic) designs, creating a batch of high-value-added cultural and creative products rooted in intangible heritage. Works like "Yiqi Luoque" produced by local enterprise Dairuisen Press-on Nails integrate traditional crafts such as lacquerware, filigree enamel, and micro-carving, incorporating cultural symbols like shadow puppetry and the Chinese zodiac into the tiny space of a nail. Upon release, these products were well-received by numerous domestic and international consumers.
On the other hand, it leverages industrial development to drive cultural inheritance and promotion. Within the industrial layout of "one center, two clusters"—comprising exhibition and experience centers, a beauty industry park, and township processing clusters—the function of cultural protection and inheritance is emphasized. This involves creating intangible cultural heritage strongholds and, through establishing industry-education integration mechanisms for talent cultivation and hosting skills competitions, building a professional workforce and fostering a strong development atmosphere.
Furthermore, Donghai is focused on building the industrial IP for handmade press-on nails, having cultivated over ten mid-to-high-end brands like Tuhua and Jing Yiyi, forming a tiered matrix of enterprise brands. Currently, efforts are actively underway to register the collective trademark "Donghai Press-on Nails" and prepare for the establishment of the "World Handmade Press-on Nail Capital," aiming to set a new landmark for the regional brand.
"Lightweight" Export Strategy Presents a Cultural Fingertip Card
By the end of 2025, Donghai's handmade press-on nail products had been sold in over 30 countries and regions worldwide, becoming a distinctive name card for overseas consumers to experience the charm of Chinese culture.
To facilitate the export of press-on nail products, Donghai has focused on strengthening the cross-border e-commerce ecosystem. It has successively opened dedicated lines for direct international communication exports, established two provincial-level cross-border e-commerce industrial parks and one provincial-level public overseas warehouse, and provided support to business entities through third-party cross-border e-commerce platforms. A dedicated cross-border e-commerce trading center has also been set up to address key issues for cross-border e-commerce businesses, such as product supply chains, cross-border logistics, and export customs clearance.
Simultaneously, Donghai is actively expanding offline channels. By making frequent appearances at major exhibitions, it enhances the influence of its regional brand. From the Guangzhou International Beauty Expo to the Shenzhen Cultural Industries Fair, and from the Cosmoprof North America to the Beautyworld Middle East in Dubai, Donghai's press-on nail exhibition areas not only showcase products but also feature live demonstrations of skills like filigree enamel and hand-painting. This dual approach promotes both "cultural display" and "order fulfillment."
On the fingertips, a small space carries a millennium of cultural heritage; though the nail art is tiny, it connects to the global market. The Donghai handmade press-on nail industry empowers products with culture and connects with the world through creativity, exploring a unique path for cultural export.
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