Wuxi clay figurines embrace Amazon, TikTok to reach global shoppers

A 400-year-old clay figurine craft from Wuxi, Jiangsu province, is going global through an official Amazon storefront and a TikTok account targeting international audiences.

Wuxi Huishan Clay Figurine Factory announced the moves at a launch event on Sept 13 in Wuxi, where it also unveiled its 2026 collection.

The initiative is part of a broader push to pair overseas sales with social media marketing. The Amazon store allows customers outside China to purchase the figurines directly. Meanwhile, the TikTok account, now regularly updated, features artisans and shows how the figurines are made.

New products include a refrigerator magnet series featuring Jiangnan gardens, Wuxi landmarks and local food, and a zodiac collection based on an updated "Ah Fu" figure, a traditional Huishan figurine character symbolizing good fortune and joy.

Gong Lingyao, general manager of the Wuxi Huishan Clay Figurine Factory, said the company is building on the craft's history of international recognition. Huishan figurines received an award at the 1933 Chicago World's Fair, he said, and a new generation is now trying to bring the craft to a wider global audience.

The factory said demand is growing. A customer from the United States recently ordered nearly 100 Huishan clay figurine products through Amazon.

Huishan clay figurines are no longer limited to cultural exhibitions or one-off exports, the factory said. Instead, it is working to link cultural promotion, overseas social media outreach and cross-border sales into a single international strategy.

Wuxi plans to support that approach by helping local craft businesses access cross-border e-commerce services and overseas markets. The goal is to turn Huishan clay figurines from a local traditional craft into a cultural brand with global reach.