Over the past few years, new online shops that meet emerging niche market demand have been mushrooming on Taobao, China's largest e-commerce platform, which is controlled by Hangzhou-based internet giant Alibaba Group.

Cloud maker

Lu Canglong, a Lishui-born millennial who majored in optical engineering at the renowned Zhejiang University, is now running an online store at Taobao which sells his self-designed cloud-emulating craftworks.

In 2019, the online store, based in Hangzhou, sold more than 200,000 cloud models of various shapes to over 40,000 consumers nationwide.

Lu Canglong uses a drone to take pictures of clouds before replicating their unique shapes in craftworks. [Photo/zj.zjol.com.cn]

Cloud-like craftworks are on sale at Lu Canglong's online store at Taobao. [Photo/zj.zjol.com.cn]

Armorsmith

Wen Chenhua specializes in the research, design and manufacturing of ancient Chinese armor and helmets at his workshop in Haining county, Zhejiang province.

It is said that less than 10 Chinese possess the skills of a qualified armorsmith today. Wen is one of them. 

Wen completed his first armor piece in 2012 and sold it for 80,000 yuan ($12,328). Weighing 30 kilograms, the piece is a replica of a type of silver scale armor that was widely used by troops during the Song Dynasty (960-1279). It is capable of withstanding blows by bladed weapons.

In 2014, Wen set up an armor shop on Taobao and raked in 6 million yuan in annual sales. Among its thousands of regular customers are the crew members of costume dramas such as the hit TV series The Longest Day in Chang'an.

Wen Chenhua makes a piece of armor in his workshop. [Photo/zj.zjol.com.cn]

New-generation artisans

Statistics show that Taobao is currently home to at least 200,000 creative culture shops, double the figure from two years ago. Around 77 percent of these businesses are operated by people younger than 30.

Benefitting from the huge population of Chinese consumers as well as the massive traffic on Taobao, many businesses selling niche products and services are now able to thrive.

"In the age of the internet, more and more people are able to take up a profession in which their passion lies,"an industry insider said.