In the sun of June, containers filled with stylish suitcases stand neatly stacked at Huaihua International Land Port. Every day, around 4,000 luggage pieces set sail from here, traversing mountains and seas to reach international markets in the Middle East, South America, and Africa.
"We ship suitcases overseas every week on average," said Mou Xiaofeng, chairman of Hunan Xiangtong Industrial Co., Ltd. This year, the company aims to produce over 10,000 bags daily, with an annual output value of 3 billion yuan in finished luggage and accessories.
What’s astonishing is that this thriving industry was nonexistent three years ago. In May 2023, Huaihua Municipal Government set its sights on becoming the "City of International Luggage," designating luggage and leather goods as the flagship industry of its port-area industrial zone. Today, led by Xiangtong Industrial, the cluster has attracted 155 enterprises, forming a complete ecosystem from manufacturing to cross-border e-commerce.
While the luggage industry expands globally, Huaihua’s new display industry is also quietly rising.
Inside the production facility of Hunan Xinghuai New Materials Technology Co., molten glass transforms under precision-controlled equipment, churning out sheets of cover glass for electronics. "Last year, our output value reached 570 million yuan, with product quality ranking among the nation’s best," said general manager Song Shuyuan proudly.
More impressively, Huaihua has built a full industrial chain spanning "silica sand → glass substrates → display modules → smart terminals," with 50 interlinked enterprises driving a leap from isolated breakthroughs to integrated synergy.
The wave of industrial growth extends to bio-based materials. Seizing its role as a national pilot city for ecological product value realization, Huaihua has incorporated bio-based industries into its "5+10" modern industrial framework, focusing on wood pulp, rubber, bamboo, and cassava to develop comprehensive supply chains.
On May 16, the second-phase project of Hunan Wanxiang New Materials Technology Co., Ltd. commenced operations in Mayang, with an annual output of 50,000 tons and a projected value of 900 million yuan. As China’s sole producer of industrial-grade high-purity deproteinized natural latex, Wanxiang has not only achieved technological breakthroughs but also become Huaihua’s new calling card in RCEP markets.
Guided by green development, Huaihua’s new energy sector is also galloping ahead. On April 29, Dongfang Electric’s wind power base in Huaihua rolled out its first turbine, with an annual capacity of 300 units of 6MW+ turbines. This bolsters Huaihua’s ambitions to become a "National Hub for New Energy Equipment" and Hunan’s "Integrated Energy Base".
The region’s pristine landscapes nurture premium herbs. At Wuling Aiye Biotechnology Co. in Zhongfang County, assembly lines hum as packaged mugwort products head to RCEP members like Malaysia. Huaihua is fast-tracking its "Southern China Medicine Valley" vision, with TCM industry output hitting 26.8 billion yuan in 2024 (up 27.1%), while herbal cultivation spanned 100,700 hectares—both leading the province.
The boom in TCM and other sectors mirrors Huaihua’s industrial chain blossoming. Machinery manufacturing is off to a "fiery start," with 60 major firms running at full tilt (Q1 investment surged 53.2% YOY). New materials are "strengthening their backbone," forming four specialized clusters. Electronic components are "converging into momentum," moving upscale and clustered, while new energy equipment maintains "rapid ascent."
Behind this vibrant tapestry lies Huaihua’s "chain-thinking" innovation. The city’s "5+N Modern Industrial System Three-Year Plan" and chain-leader system pinpoint each sector’s strengths. Anchor firms like Dongxu Group, Xiangtong Industrial, and Xiuzheng Group spearhead upstream-downstream synergy. From "optical screens" in displays to "global-bound suitcases," "innovation seeds" in agritech, and "flavorsome foods," specialized chains are converging and thriving across Huaihua. These ten industrial chains resemble mighty banyans—deep-rooted, lush, and full of vitality.
In Q1 2025, the ten chains generated 24.61 billion yuan in output (up 26.1% YOY), outpacing the citywide average by 9.4 percentage points, showcasing remarkable resilience.
At the 11th Global Hunan Entrepreneurs Summit, entrepreneurs lauded Huaihua’s business climate. Sany Group’s Xiang Wenbo noted, "Huaihua’s excellent environment left a lasting impression." Xiuzheng Group’s Xiu Laigui summed up the sentiment with "four reassurances": "Peace, confidence, comfort, and warmth in Huaihua." Such acclaim reflects not just policy effectiveness but the city’s dynamic industrial pulse.
This fertile ground has yielded fruits: 540 projects attracted in 2024 (totaling 146.37 billion yuan, up 12.73% and 6.61% YOY), marking dual leaps in scale and quality. Behind these figures lies growing investor trust.
"Embrace the World, Link the Future"—nestled among mountains, Huaihua blends rugged perseverance with oceanic openness, marrying heritage with innovation. Through chain thinking in restructuring logic and new-quality productivity in solving the problems, the city strides confidently toward modern industrial system construction, transforming legacy sectors and nurturing emerging ones. The journey is long, but the steps are firm, as Huaihua pens its high-quality industrial answer sheet.
(Translated by Qu Qiongxue)