1982-1988
In 1982, amid the wave of China's reform and opening-up, Ding Helin invested together with fellow villagers to establish a small shoe-making workshop, creating the first shoe prototype in Anpu Village. In 1987, at the age of 17, Ding Shizhong traveled to Beijing with 600 pairs of shoes and began promoting them in major shopping malls, soon entering well-known locations such as Wangfujing, Xidan Mall, Dondan Market, and Longfu Building, where dedicated counters were opened. In 1988, Ding Helin founded Jinjiang Hengfa Leather & Plastic Shoes Factory, and the Ding family separated from the Anpu Village Spiral Processing Factory to begin their own entrepreneurial journey together with fellow villagers.