Cai Yanhang, who majored in sociology and graduated with a PhD in Australia, started studying handmade soap in 2014.

In the past seven years, Cai has created over 100 new kinds of soaps. As an enthusiast of local herbs, he has collected many local plants like wormwoods and Sapindus as soap materials.

Named“Pu Su Xin Soap Store,” the handmade-soap store came online at Taobao in 2017. The offline store was opened at the Dongxin Hechuang Park in Oct 2018.

Although often being laughed at or not being understood, he did not give up. “The store seems like a cloth made on my own measurement. It is the optimum choice for me,”said Cai Yanhang.

“I am good at turning trash to treasure,” Cai joked. A lot of furniture and ornaments were found by him in derelict houses.

Due to the excellent products and the unique decoration style, Cai’s store went viral in the park and attracted many customers. Thanks to Taobao’s unique marketing strategies for handcrafts, the sales boomed in 2020. The offline store is hailed as “the most beautiful store in Hangzhou.”

“I love Hangzhou not only because it is my home town but also due to its cultural atmosphere and the internet economy,” said Cai.

Cai also launched a charity event on Dec 21, 2020. When a piece of soap has been sold, Cai will donate one same soap piece of same value to families of the poverty-stricken areas.