Recently, the Southern Metropolis Daily's "Shenzhen Major Events" column offered a vivid portrayal of China's manufacturing transformation and upgrading: The "Awakening Lion" designer toys produced in factories across the Greater Bay Area travel overseas via Shenzhen's cross-border e-commerce networks and YANTIAN, emerging as best-selling hits in Europe and the United States. This is no ordinary logistics journey—it is a relay of "China's strength": beginning with the precision manufacturing capabilities of the Greater Bay Area, passing through a world-class hub port, and culminating at the forefront of global trade.
(The following is content from the news video)
Among the many export products, designer toys that seamlessly integrate distinctive Chinese cultural symbolism with cutting-edge technology stand out in particular. Piececoo, a designer-toy company, originated from advanced nanometer-level metal processing technologies and has provided services to leading high-tech enterprises such as Huawei and BYD. Its founder, an accomplished toy designer, was among the pioneers in applying advanced manufacturing technologies to designer-toy creation. In recent years, Piececoo has actively expanded into overseas markets, promoting designer toys imbued with rich Chinese culture and earning widespread attention and appreciation abroad. "In the past, overseas consumers had to search extensively for distinctive cultural products. Today, with just one or two hundred yuan, or a few dozen euros, they can purchase Chinese designer toys that combine cultural depth with hands-on assembly. This sense of novelty is highly appealing," said Piececoo's Director of New Media. Designer toys featuring Chinese-style lion motifs and elements symbolizing prosperity, such as "bringing in wealth", are increasingly becoming a window through which, overseas audiences discover and engage with Chinese culture.
An efficient export logistics chain underpins the global expansion of Chinese brands. As one of the world's largest single container terminals, YANTIAN handles more than 15 million TEUs annually and serves as a key international shipping hub of the Greater Bay Area. Every day, tens of thousands of "Made in China" products from across the country converge here, preparing to embark on long-haul journeys to overseas markets. With over 100 international services each week connecting major destinations worldwide, YANTIAN works closely with shipping companies to offer high-frequency, extensive, faster, and high-efficiency shipping services. On average, 10 sailings depart daily for Europe and North America, with shipping times as short as 11 days to Australia and 12.5 days to the United States. For many liner companies, YANTIAN are their last port-of-call in South China—selected to ensure cargo reaches global markets with optimal speed and efficiency.
"Our primary responsibility is to ensure that every container departs safely, on schedule, and with maximum efficiency. The terminal operates without interruption, day and night, throughout the year. Quay cranes remain in motion and vehicles move continuously. Every operation must be seamlessly aligned. For us, this is more than a job—it is a matter of trust. Our objective is to ensure that the story of 'Made in China' begins in YANTIAN and reaches every corner of the world," said a manager from YANTIAN's Operations Services and Development Department. Behind the scenes, a sophisticated dispatching system provides real-time oversight of all operational resources. Clearly identified vehicle flows—red for tractors and green for vessel-related vehicles—enable the dispatch team to respond instantly and resolve any emergent situation at the earliest possible moment.
The evolution of cargo exported through YANTIAN offers a clear narrative of China's manufacturing upgrade. The first container exported from YANTIAN carried teddy bears produced under a processing-on-commission model, with materials supplied from overseas and assembly completed domestically before re-export. Today, by contrast, the designer toys, lithium batteries, and other products of the "new three" shipped from the port are all independently developed Chinese brands.
To further enhance its service capabilities, YANTIAN has built an extensive, low-carbon multimodal transport network. It now operates 29 inland ports, 34 rail-sea services, 15 port alliances across the Greater Bay Area, and 17 feeder services, covering the Greater Bay Area, Central China, and Southwest China, enabling inland cargo to move directly, efficiently, and reliably to YANTIAN. The Chongqing-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Scheduled Rail-Sea Service and the Chengdu-Shenzhen-Hong Kong Scheduled Rail-Sea Service amplify this connectivity. Transit times from Chongqing and Chengdu to YANTIAN have been reduced from five days to just two, while cargoes can reach Hong Kong's Kwai Tsing Port by feeder services on the third day. From YANTIAN or Kwai Tsing, shipments are loaded onto international vessels and dispatched to more than 200 countries and regions worldwide, realising true connectivity across domestic and international markets and a mutually reinforcing linkage among the Chengdu–Chongqing region, Shenzhen, and Hong Kong.
Against an increasingly complex and volatile global trade backdrop, YANTIAN has maintained a high degree of operational resilience. Through flexible coordination of berth allocation and scheduling, the terminal absorbs shipment surges and policy adjustments with agility, ensuring that "Made in China" products continue to reach global markets without interruption. In doing so, it plays a critical role in stabilising industrial and supply chains and supporting the high-quality development of China's international trade.
For the world, Shenzhen's YANTIAN is more than a departure point for Chinese manufacturing. It is a pivotal chapter in a broader 21st-century Oriental narrative. Sustained by the commitment and innovation of its workforce, this major port continues to empower Chinese brands on their global journey, offering a vivid demonstration of China's economic resilience and enduring dynamism.
Source: Shenzhen Major Events of Southern Metropolis Daily
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