The Myth of Getting Rich in Guangdong’s County Towns
Despite two years of pandemic disruptions, Guangdong's Xinxing County maintained an annualized GDP growth rate of over 8%, averaging around 30 billion yuan per year.
The county's economic surge is largely driven by Wens, which has contributed substantial GDP and now operates branches in more than 20 provinces across China. With revenues exceeding 60 billion yuan and a market capitalization of over 146 billion yuan, Wens ranks as the country's second-largest agricultural and livestock company by market value. (Nearby housing developments, KFC outlets, and other amenities primarily serve the company's employees.)
A single company holds up an entire county.
Here's a local aquaculture example:
Fingerlings cost just 5 yuan each, and farmed fish sell for 20–30 yuan per pound at harvest, completed within six months. The entire operation runs on sensor-based monitoring and mobile app management—convenient and hands-off.
As factories relocate to county towns, local economies are poised to become the defining trend ahead.