Just five years ago, Yang Xiangyue, a Tianjin resident, was asked to take early retirement from her job at a bus terminal when she was only 43. (The traditional retirement age for Chinese women is 55 and 60 for men.)

"I almost lost my mind at that time," says Yang, "I couldn`t find a way to get back into society. How to continue my life was a dilemma."

But today, Yang has found a new role as a sweater making super star of sorts. Using China`s traditional hand-knitting method - gou feng (using a needle and string). Furthermore, her hand-knit sweaters are drawing interest from traders both at home and abroad, such as South Koreans and Italians.

Yang is the leader of Tianjin Riyue Hand-knitted Manufacturing Center, one of the city`s 95 handwork manufacturing centers for local women who were laid off.

"Thanks to the local government and the creative business program implemented by the Tianjin Women`s Federation, I can restart my life and own my wonderful career," Yang says with a smile.

"At present, a large scale of handcraft centers are operating in and around the biggest port city in North China," says Zhu Liping, chairwoman of the Tianjin Women`s Federation.

"It`s a good way for caring for laid-off workers, especially women. Through the program, several local companies join in and play an active role, such as the China Mobile`s Tianjin subsidiary. They donated money, supported our net-trading and helped spread the word about our new handicraft industry," Zhu says.

The Tianjin women`s homespun industry has sprung up within only five years and currently consists of 95 professional manufacturing centers covering the city`s 18 district and counties.

The craftworks, made by about 50,000 local women, are exported to 11 countries, including the United States, Japan, Germany, and South Korea. The works can generate more than 200 million yuan every year.

The grass-roots program not only helps laid-off workers improve their lives, according to Zhu, but also draws more public attention to woman`s issues.

With support from local government and other local companies, the Tianjin Women`s Federation has also formed the Tianjin Qiaoshou Hand-knitted Manufacturing Company, which promotes international trading for the craftworks.

Zhu says Tianjin has been famous for thousands of years for its handicrafts. Nirenzhang (a craftwork made by mud featuring vivid imagines) and yangliuqing nianhua (a special painting for China`s Spring Festival) are the most famous local craftworks.

The new handicraft-making program aims to put the old culture and its unique technologies to better use by developing a modern industry that creates more value. Local workers also link to other Chinese handicraft methods in other regions to promote their businesses, such as guxiu in old Shanghai and gerong in Shandong province.

As Huang Xingguo, mayor of Tianjin says, the traditional crafts industry is environmentally sound with a low rate of natural source consumption, no emissions, but features high value and a huge market demand. It`s a good example for the city`s sustainable development mode, Huang says.

Bright future

But Tianjin`s women`s handicraft program has a larger dream. "In three to five years, we will better promote our Qiaoshou (clever hands in Chinese) brand on the international market," Zhu tells China Business Weekly. "We aim to make Tianjin the biggest hand-knitting manufacturing base in North China and the largest handicraft net-trading center across China."

As the mayor has urged, local organizers are taking efforts to promote the program to the countryside by involving more rural women to participate in the handcraft-making industry. "Also in three to five years, local handworkers will be expected to generate 1 billion yuan," says Zhu.

Tianjin handicraft workers are also recycling pop cans and other discarded materials to make new eco-friendly products.