The market for "Gufajin," gold produced using traditional Chinese methods, is on the rise. According to a report by Frost & Sullivan, the size of China's Gufajin jewelry market expanded rapidly from 13 billion yuan (approximately 306.7844 billion yen) in 2018 to 157.3 billion yuan (approximately 3.712 trillion yen) in 2023, and is expected to reach nearly 300 billion yuan (approximately 7.08 trillion yen) in 2025.

【その他の写真】

Gufajin are accessories that use high-purity gold and require the use of two or more traditional Chinese gold and silver craftsmanship techniques in their manufacturing process. Due to their intricate appearance and profound cultural background, they have captured the needs of young people and affluent individuals, leading to a dramatic expansion of the market size.

The growth of "Lao Pu Huang Jin," an emerging brand that was quick to popularize the concept of Gufajin, supports this trend. In 2025, the company achieved sales of 27.3 billion yuan (approximately 644.25 billion yen, a 221.0% increase year-on-year) across 45 directly managed stores. Growth in stores outside mainland China, including Hong Kong, Macau, and Singapore, reached 361%. According to third-party market data, the company's sales rank as the world's second largest, following the LVMH Group.

In recent years, established Chinese brands like "Chow Tai Fook" have also successively launched Gufajin products, selling them in physical stores and online. Gufajin accessories emphasize the added value of the brand and craftsmanship, rather than the traditional sales method of pricing by gram.

The industry is focusing on the following point: For over 30 years, the Chinese market has brought significant revenue growth to global luxury groups, but it has not managed to seize the right to define luxury goods. The rise of the Gufajin market signifies that the global luxury market has entered a new phase. This indicates a shift from the context of brand stories and logos, which Western brands emphasize, to the pursuit of traditional culture, intangible cultural heritage techniques, and aesthetic productivity.

Chinese experts point out that in addition to the rise of Guochao (Chinese trend) culture, the enhancement of cultural identity among young people, and the deepening of modern expressions of traditional craftsmanship, the continuous improvement of technology and design systems is providing a strong and long-term driving force for the Gufajin sector, indicating that there is still ample room for market development. Going forward, the strategy is to adhere to three core pillars: cultural essence, technical quality, and pricing transparency, to make this a new global symbol of Chinese culture. (Provided by/CGTN Japanese)