The garment industry in Lijiacun Village in Xi'an once lured tens of thousands of girls from rural areas who went there to find work in the clothing factories.
The factories, located in the capital of Northwest China's Shaanxi Province, have witnessed changes over the years, mainly due to development in the region
However, while some girls have left for other areas, at least 5,000 stayed in the nearby villages to work in the garment factories.
Most of these young women, between 16 and 25 years old, are from Northwest China. To them, working in a factory today isn't just a job, but an opportunity to pursue better lives in the city.
Soon after she graduated from middle school three years ago, 19-year-old Wan Yuan followed her brother-in-law from their hometown, Liquan County of Shaanxi, to a garment factory at Lijiacun. Today, she's a skilled worker who earns 800 yuan ($105) a month.
She is content with her present job. "Like most girls, I want to dress myself up," she says. "So I spend half of my salary on clothes and cosmetics and the other half subsidizing my family expenses."
In another garment factory, separated only by a wall from Wan's workshop, there are a few girls from Northwest China's Gansu Province.
Compared to her hometown neighbors, Zhang Yan, 18, has seen a bigger world. One year ago, she went to Shanghai and worked as a saleswoman in a supermarket. Unable to adapt to the humid weather, she returned home before the spring festival.
Now, she's in her second month as a garment factory worker. She earns a monthly salary of 300 yuan in addition to meals and accommodation.
In thinking about their future plans, Zhang and her hometown colleagues believe they're now better off and each anticipate a better future.
However, not every worker in the factories wants to earn a living this way. Some have higher goals.
"My ultimate aim of working in the factory is to become a boss myself," says 18-year-old Chen Liqiong from Pingliang, Gansu Province.
Chen believes that clothing is top among all basic necessities of life these days and it is why she chose this job.
After two years of hard work, she is now a skilled worker - capable of making up-market Western suits independently - an improvement from her role as a cook for the boss and sewing buttons onto clothes.
Chen doesn't buy cosmetics and barely spends her money. Now, she has savings of more than 10,000 yuan, which makes it possible for her to open a garment store.
For 23-year-old Guo Yanli, the garment factory is where she met her true love. Three years ago, she worked for Zheng Jianbing, who owned some electronic weaving machines. An adept tailor herself, Guo soon became the boss's assistant and later fell in love with him.
Earlier this year, they got married. To expand their business, they transformed their bridal chamber into a garment-making workshop.
They're not the only ones who found love on the job. There are several others who found love in the factories. Most of them dream of earning more money and owning an apartment in the city.
The garment making business, however, is subject to market demand. During the rainy season, for example, orders from the garment shops fall since there are fewer shoppers. Accordingly, factories tend to dismiss workers in order to reduce costs.
On the other hand, good business means a bigger demand for more factory workers. However, skilled workers tend to be in shortage because many also open up their own factories with their savings.The garment business is becoming more difficult, said a boss surnamed Huang, who has been in the business for about 16 years. Nowadays, he says, it can take years to earn the same profit he once earned in a single year.
According to Xi'an's municipal planning blueprint, a "garment industry city" at the Lijiacun Village will open soon. At that time, there should be more opportunities for the factory girls.
