In May 2023, Huaihua announced its strategic plan to become the international city of luggage, adopting a chain-thinking approach to industrial development. Huaihua has become the first city in China to establish a luggage and leather goods production base at the municipal level, and has been included in the provincial “4×4” modern industrial system for key support.
In just two years, 156 enterprises have gathered in the chain, including 27 above-scale enterprises, with a gross production value exceeding 4 billion yuan. A full industry chain development pattern has been formed, encompassing luggage finished products as well as components such as telescopic handles, wheels, lining fabrics, colorants, zippers, woven belts, packaging, foreign trade, and e-commerce.
Over 70 enterprises, including Xiangtong Industrial, Huawei Technology, Outeng Luggage, and Senjia Luggage, have nearly 1,000 products that are bestsellers in nearly 50 countries and regions worldwide. Huaihua has leapfrogged to become one of China’s important luggage sourcing bases.
The Ever-Growing “Xiang Family”
In the prime of summer, upon entering Hunan Xiangtong Industrial Co., Ltd., the fervor of production and sales is as intense as the weather. Batches of luggage emerge from the assembly line in succession and are quickly on their way to consumers.
The company is a luggage manufacturer with a comprehensive R&D, design, production, and sales system. With an investment of nearly 2 billion yuan in Huaihua, it has built a luggage industrial base with an annual production capacity of 17 million pieces. The company not only produces luggage but also manufactures accessories such as telescopic handles, wheels, and zipper pulls.
Looking back on its entrepreneurial journey, every step has been firm and resolute.
In August 2022, Hunan Xiangtong Industrial invested 500 million yuan in the Lianshan Industrial Park in Huaihua’s Huitong County, launching a major project with an annual production capacity of 5 million pieces of luggage.
In March 2023, the company invested an additional 1 billion yuan to expand its production base in Huitong with an annual production capacity of 10 million pieces of luggage. Three months later, it invested another 500 million yuan to establish Hunan Xianghuai Luggage Manufacturing Co., Ltd. in Huaihua International Land Port Economic Development Zone, constructing a production base with an annual production capacity of 5 million pieces of luggage.
In August 2024, inside the Xianghuai luggage workshop, newly introduced high-end equipment such as automatic injection molding machines and automatic sewing machines were humming and operating, presenting a busy yet orderly production scene. This marked the official commencement of production, making it a new benchmark in Huaihua’s industrial sector. The company has set up 18 production lines. Chairman Mou Xiaofeng expressed confidence, stating that the company is committed to building a more modern production factory and strives to achieve globally leading automation levels within three years, further establishing a new paradigm for Huaihua’s industrial sector.
In January 2024, the company made a third additional investment of 100 million yuan to establish a specialized luggage metal zipper production line in Huaihua High-tech Industrial Development Zone.
On May 10, the “Top 10 Industrial Projects of Huaihua in 2025” – the production base of Hunan Xiangchen Luggage was commissioned. The company invested 600 million yuan in the production base project. Since signing the agreement, with the concerted efforts of relevant departments, the plant decoration, equipment installation, and trial production were completed in just 80 days, demonstrating remarkable construction speed. The company’s goal is to drive the total industrial chain production value to exceed 5 billion yuan this year and aim for a 10 billion-yuan industrial cluster by 2027.
Xiangtong, Xianghuai, Xiangchen... These thriving enterprises are all related to one person—Mou Xiaofeng, chairman of Hunan Xiangtong Industrial Co., Ltd. and Shanghai Nuente Industrial Co., Ltd., as well as the Golden Investment Promotion Ambassador of Huaihua City.
Returning from Shanghai to his hometown in 2022, Mou has brought a powerful impetus to the development of the luggage and leather goods industry in Huaihua. As the “chain leader” in the luggage industry chain, Xiangtong Luggage has driven more than 140 upstream and downstream enterprises in the industry chain to invest and start businesses in Huaihua City.
“Last year, the entire industry chain of our enterprise achieved a production value of 1.7 billion yuan. This year, our orders have been booked until the second half of the year.” Mou plans to introduce two new automated production lines, which can increase production capacity by about 30%.
Smart Luggage on the Move
“I am honored to share with you the products of Lingxiu Luggage. This is a new form of luggage created by our R&D team over the past year—the electric ride-on luggage.” At the Second Hunan (Huaihua) RCEP Economic and Trade Expo held in Huaihua in May, a new product brought by Hunan Lingxiu Luggage Manufacturing Co., Ltd. was well-received by consumers.
This suitcase weighs only 7.9 kilograms and is made of a brand-new lightweight alloy material with a load capacity of up to 120 kilograms. Its design concept is to create diversified and intelligent usage scenarios, realizing “one vehicle with four uses”: suitcase mode, scooter mode, ride-on luggage mode, and electric bike mode (with an additional seat set).
“It can meet various scenarios such as traveling, grocery shopping, taking kids out to play, and short-distance commuting. The electric telescoping function is easy to adjust, and the four modes can be switched freely. The battery is also independently developed by us, with two versions to choose from: a boarding version with 2,600 mAh and a range of 10 kilometers, and an extended range version with 3,200 mAh and a range of 15 kilometers.” Chairman Wei Yaofei enthusiastically introduced to everyone.
He said that this product supports mobile app control and interconnection, allowing adjustment of battery life, speed, and other functions. “We at Lingxiu Luggage are committed to creating domestically leading smart luggage products. We don’t just want to provide a travel container or a means of transportation; we hope to provide a smart travel companion.”
He revealed that the company is currently jointly developing an AI robot suitcase with the Shenzhen Robot Industrial Park and has already started production. Those interested in smart luggage can look forward to their second and third-generation products.
At the expo, the electric ride-on luggage launched by the company and Hunan Huawei Technology Co., Ltd. became a major highlight, attracting many merchants to come and purchase and negotiate.
In addition, the legendary vintage Roman series, the rainbow dual-colored Inca series, and the Milan series business luggage of Hunan Juinishi Technology Co., Ltd. were also very eye-catching. These products are high-end and diverse in series, and widely welcomed by consumers.
The most eye-catching product was an innovative suitcase that can be intelligently located, allowing real-time tracking of luggage position through a mobile app. The company’s manager Xie Hui said that their unchanging original intention is to constantly pursue higher quality.
He gave an example, “For instance, in terms of structure, we adopt an integrated suitcase body to create a more perfect and waterproof seamless suitcase. In terms of materials, the industry is trending towards stainless steel, titanium steel, and carbon fiber. Although we currently mainly use aluminum alloy, we have already explored and produced carbon fiber luggage, which is currently very advanced.”
Advancing with intelligence toward industry leadership, continuous product transformation and upgrading have propelled Huaihua’s luggage and leather goods industry into a dynamic force in export trade.
“The style, materials, craftsmanship... the quality is second to none!”
Good meals are worth waiting for; quality products sell themselves. At 10 PM on June 3, the exhibition hall of Huaihua International Land Port Economic Development Zone Luggage Industrial Park was brightly lit and buzzing with energy as a livestream sales event unfolded.
Since its launch on May 30, Huaihua’s “Source-Tracing Livestream Series” for luggage has consistently topped sales charts in the sports & outdoor category. The host, “Pop Luggage Guy,” is from a top coastal livestreaming team with nationwide experience. Huaihua’s products left a deep impression on him.
“Our team has stringent standards for livestream products, but Huaihua’s luggage genuinely impressed us,” he remarked, casually lifting a white suitcase to demonstrate. ”The style, materials, craftsmanship—everything is impeccable. The telescopic handle, zipper, wheels—all top-tier.”
Huaihua’s emergence as a large-scale domestic suitcase production hub caught the attention of Hangzhou Musheng Culture Media Co., Ltd. Through business referrals, the city’s Luggage & Leather Goods Industry Chain Office and the International Land Port Development Zone Luggage Office signed a cooperation agreement with the company. In June, they conducted eight source-tracing livestream sessions at the zone’s luggage exhibition center.
Leveraging the influence of the “Pop Luggage Guy” team, these livestreams sold 23,530 pieces of Huaihua luggage, generating over 4 million yuan in sales. Products were supplied by companies including Tujia, Outeng, and Bolion, enabling them to add 6 production lines and create over 100 new jobs.
This event marks a successful pilot of Huaihua’s innovative “Quality + Interest-Based E-Commerce Livestream” model, further amplifying the influence of the under-construction “international city of luggage.” Musheng Culture Media has partnered with enterprises like Xianghuai, Zhixing, Senmao, and Juinishi, targeting sales of 500,000 suitcases and 85 million yuan in revenue this year.
“Our Model 26,030 PC suitcase features impact resistance, sleek aesthetics, and waterproofing—it’s a top-seller on e-commerce platforms,” reported a sales manager from Xiangtong Luggage. Their products are exported to 30+ countries across Europe, the Americas, Japan-Korea, Southeast Asia, and the Middle East, attracting premium clients like Samsonite, Costco, Decathlon, Delsey, Pechoin, and JD.com. The company is now a strategic supplier for brands such as Samsonite and Decathlon.
Huaihua’s luggage and leather goods industry is now entering a critical phase of transitioning from excellence to dominance, accelerating the cultivation of local independent brands while actively building a regional public brand.
“Our city will accelerate the transformation of innovation and design achievements into new quality productive forces by organizing competitions in innovation and entrepreneurship, product design, and quality benchmarking,” stated a relevant official from the Huaihua Industry and Information Technology Bureau. The city will also expedite the cultivation of independent brands such as Xianghuai, Qianqianke, and Huawei Tech, while expanding the influence of brands manufactured locally in Huaihua, including Guangdong Leaf King and Jiangxi Kewei.
Concurrently, efforts will intensify to enhance collaboration between foreign trade OEM enterprises and international/domestic brand owners. This includes establishing mid-to-high-end branded luggage production bases to attract domestic and international buyers for centralized procurement of Huaihua luggage.
According to data from Huaihua’s luggage and leather goods industry chain, the city exported 343 TEUs (twenty-foot equivalent units) of finished luggage products in Q1 this year, with total exports reaching 120 million CNY — a 29.6% year-on-year increase.
(Translated by Tian Xia)