Beside the Longjin River, next to Peng Pai's Former Residence in Haifeng County, Shanwei, a long-idle dyeing-and-weaving mill has come back to life.
The site was formerly home to the Haifeng County Dyeing and Weaving Factory and had stood idle since 2000. As part of the High-Quality Development Project for Guangdong Counties, Towns and Villages, Haifeng revitalized the underused state-owned property through adaptive reuse. With its original structure and historic traces preserved, the old mill was transformed with private investment into the Z-ISLE Complex, combining jewelry displays, coffee and hands-on craft experiences.
Lin Jian'an, Executive Vice President of the Gems & Jewelry Trade Association of Haifeng County and General Manager of Guangdong True Meteorite Jewelry Co., Ltd., saw the value in the site's industrial heritage. After four months of renovation, his team preserved the rough brick walls, beams and columns, as well as production slogans left by workers in the 1960s, blending the old factory with new businesses.
Known as "China's Gemstone Capital" and "China's Jewelry Capital," Haifeng has a thriving jewelry industry but has long focused on processing, with few consumer-facing spaces for showcasing and experiencing jewelry. Z-ISLE now combines Ketang gemstones and Meilong jewelry with coffee and DIY crafts, allowing visitors to explore gemstones, enjoy specialty drinks and make gemstone art and bracelets from crystal scraps.
Z-ISLE is more than a commercial space. Since its trial opening, it has hosted more than 10 public-welfare events and offered courses in photography, AI-powered e-commerce and jewelry crafts, creating a platform for young people returning to their hometowns, new-generation farmers, families and youth from Hong Kong and Macao.
Author: Liu Yue
Photos: Nanfang Plus
