7 in 10 False Eyelashes Come from Pingdu – Here’s How

For beauty enthusiasts, false eyelashes are the finishing touch to any eye-makeup look. Few people, however, know that hundreds of millions of boxes of false lashes leave the production lines of Pingdu, Qingdao, every year, bound for markets in Europe, the United States, Japan, South Korea, and beyond. In fact, for every 10 pairs of false eyelashes sold worldwide, at least seven are made in Pingdu. While Qingdao is famous as China's “Beer Capital,” it also quietly holds another title: the “False-eyelash Capital.”

Wu Gaobo is an entrepreneur who hails from Pingdu and built his career in the false-eyelash industry. Today, his company offers integrated services covering R&D, production, processing, sales, international trade, e-commerce operations, and OEM/ODM. After years of deep industry cultivation, his products reach more than 10 countries, with annual exports exceeding 30 million boxes and an annual export turnover of RMB 700 million—making his firm a benchmark in China's domestic false-eyelash sector.
　　“In Pingdu, almost every household has at one time or another worked on false-eyelash pieces. In the early days, it was all small family workshops operating on a piece-rate basis,” Wu recalled. “About 15 years ago, I started out the same way—a tiny workshop, tentatively testing the waters. I took orders from factories and handled one specific step in the production chain. Work was intermittent; we did whatever came in. At that time, I just wanted to make a living—I never imagined false lashes could make me wealthy.” During the toughest stretch of those early days, his workshop went three months without a single order, leaving only three people on the floor.
　　“Back then, we were literally living hand to mouth. But I realised that just waiting for orders to land—that model would never work.” Wu knew he had to master the entire production chain and take the initiative by directly approaching foreign-trade companies for orders. That, he felt, was the only way to break through.
　　After several years of preparation, Wu partnered with a friend who had more than 20 years of experience in the false-eyelash industry. Armed with samples they had made, they travelled to Qingdao and Guangzhou to pitch their products to foreign-trade companies, hoping to win their very first direct orders. It was the right move, but the journey was anything but easy.
　　“At the time, those trading firms already had stable, established suppliers. They didn't believe we could deliver quality work,” Wu said. Undeterred, they visited one firm after another, enduring repeated rejections and closed doors. “I remember after we had called on more than 50 firms, we were absolutely exhausted and on the verge of breaking down—but there was no time to question whether we were doing the right thing. We just had to grit our teeth and carry on.”
　　Their persistence finally paid off after they had approached over 70 trading companies. A client from Guangzhou decided to trust them and placed an order for 3,000 boxes of false eyelashes—their very first direct order. All products passed inspection on the first try, earning the client’s full recognition. “That 3,000-box order grew to 10,000 boxes a month, and they are still our customer today. We have a great partnership. I am truly grateful to them—they believed in us, and that belief paved the way for everything that followed,” Wu said.

“Once you devote all your energy to the false-eyelash business, you realise it's a small product with a huge world behind it.” As orders came in smoothly, Wu set up his own foreign-trade company, integrating production, export, and order-taking. “We broke through the bottleneck and were no longer dependent on others.”
　　“The life cycle of a new false-eyelash style is not long—a new product emerges every three to four months. Today, there are more than 2,000 varieties of false eyelashes worldwide,” Wu noted. His company now has a dedicated R&D team of 11 staff members, developing no fewer than 50 to 60 new products each year. Their total product range exceeds 3,000 items, and their clients span more than 10 countries.
　　Wu Gaobo said that China's false eyelashes are now the world’s best, with no other country able to match their quality and scale. As more and more women embrace eyelash enhancements, the industry continues to grow. “If you dare to innovate and maintain high standards in R&D and quality, the future market will be enormous. That is a goal that all of us in China's false-eyelash industry need to work toward together.”