A cut above the rest

Another viewer comments: "I buy things every day but I have never seen what happens in a manufacturing plant. It's interesting to picture that a wig made by a woman in a factory in an unknown town in Henan province may be bought by someone living on the other side of the world."

When asked if the filming was welcomed by factory owners, Xu says "sure".

"There were lots of discussion before we actually started shooting. The factory owners were very cooperative because our videos will help them to be known by more people and ultimately bring new opportunities for their businesses," Xu says.

"Every single person we filmed had to give us the OK to hang out with them, and then we had to build trust and relationships with everybody."

He took the videos on his phone, which made the shooting look less formal and his interviews more relaxed.

He traveled with one photographer and another person who took care of postproduction.

Besides the scenes inside factories, they also captured lives around them by shooting restaurants and entertainment venues nearby. One such place Xu visited was a small town called Tangwu in Changle county in Shandong province.

The town is home to more than 100,000 people and over 10,000 work directly or indirectly in the production of electric guitars.

Their products are sold worldwide and the yearly output is about one-third of the total number of electric guitars produced in the country.

"One of the workers, a middle-aged man, told me that his favorite band is Red Hot Chili Peppers from the United States and his favorite song is the band's Don't Forget Me," Xu says. "Isn't it amazing?"

He also visited villages in Henan, where people make wigs and snow boots, and Caoxian county in Shandong, which is a center for the manufacture of performance costumes.

He says many of the factories are run by families, usually husband-and-wife teams. The younger generations are well-educated and they have returned to their hometowns to work in family businesses with their open vision and new knowledge.

"I believe that in 10 years, China's manufacturing industry will be changed by these young people," Xu says.

He has seen many changes in the industry, especially domestic consumers' increasing support for products by Chinese enterprises.

"I realized that Chinese buyers, the younger generations in particular, are open to buying products made by Chinese enterprises. They embrace brands with quality and concept rooted in Chinese culture," Xu says.

"It's a great change, which motivates Chinese companies to bring out better products."

Now, Xu is working as a "bridge "to connect students of Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology with clothing manufacturers. Students are paid to contribute their ideas to the factories, from designing, making clothes to marketing.

"Hopefully, the collaboration will benefit both sides," Xu says.