Journalists from LAC countries dive into a world of crystals in E China's Jiangsu

Foreign journalists take pictures inside the China Donghai Crystal Museum in Donghai county, Lianyungang city, east China's Jiangsu Province, on Oct. 21, 2024. (People's Daily Online/Chang Sha)

Donghai county, nestled in Lianyungang city, east China's Jiangsu Province, is known as a global crystal trading hub, with around 300,000 locals engaging in crystal-related industries out of the county's total population of 1.24 million, and an annual crystal transaction volume exceeding 40 billion yuan ($5.62 billion).

On Oct. 21, 2024, a group of journalists from Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC) countries visited the county's crystal museum and a crystal trading market, getting a glimpse of the local crystal industry.

China Donghai Crystal Museum, the first crystal-themed museum in the country, houses superior natural crystals and delicate crystal handicrafts from around the world, showcasing visitors the unique appeal of this mineral.

Guilherme Oblasser Paladino, a journalist at Brazil's Brasil247, was impressed to see that many raw crystals here are sourced from Latin America, especially his home Brazil, and expressed his appreciation for how these rough materials are processed into fine handicrafts.

Inside China Donghai Crystal City, a large-scale and full-fledged crystal trading market, journalists explored a wide variety of crystal products, from jewelry to decorative ornaments. It's home to more than 7,000 crystal-related shops.

"Our raw crystals are mainly from Brazil and Uruguay, making Latin America our top material source," said Shen Weihua, head of the Donghai Crystal Cross-border E-commerce Trading Center, adding that in recent years, the rapid development of cross-border e-commerce has helped bring local crystal products to the global market.

A foreign journalist tours the China Donghai Crystal Museum in Donghai county, Lianyungang city, east China's Jiangsu Province, on Oct. 21, 2024. (People's Daily Online/Chang Sha)

Photo taken on Oct. 21, 2024, shows a foreign journalist at the China Donghai Crystal City, in Donghai county, Lianyungang city, east China's Jiangsu Province. (People's Daily Online/Chang Sha)

Photo taken on Oct. 21, 2024, shows foreign journalists at the China Donghai Crystal City, in Donghai county, Lianyungang city, east China's Jiangsu Province. (People's Daily Online/Chang Sha)

A foreign journalist conducts an interview at the China Donghai Crystal City, in Donghai county, Lianyungang city, east China's Jiangsu Province, on Oct. 21, 2024. (People's Daily Online/Li Yuchen)