Nankang, a district in Ganzhou, has defied its geographical constraints to build a thriving furniture manufacturing hub, a landlocked international port, and a low-altitude economy park. Without local timber resources, it became China's largest solid wood furniture base; without coastal access, it created a trade gateway connecting Asia and Europe; without an aviation industry background, it developed a drone economy park with the largest contiguous airspace in the nation. On September 2nd, participants of the 2026 "Check in China · Red Glow Ganzhou" international media tour visited Nankang, witnessing firsthand what locals call a "something-from-nothing" industrial relay spanning three generations.

From a Hand Plane to a Billion-Yuan Hub

Nankang's industrial story began in the early 1990s when local carpenters returned from Guangdong with skills and savings. In 1993, the first furniture factory opened in a modest workshop, marking the start of a remarkable journey. Today, over 7,000 furniture enterprises operate here, generating combined revenue exceeding 290 billion yuan across the industry chain. At Jiangxi Tuantuan Yuan Furniture Co., Ltd., the tour group observed robotic arms precisely cutting and finishing wood, with each timber piece marked by a unique QR code for full traceability from raw material to finished product.

Indonesian influencer Lin Fengfeng, one of the "New Generation Global Voices" hosts, expected a chaotic, noisy workshop but found the opposite. "It's incredibly organized. Every piece of wood has a QR code that tracks its origin and purpose. They're not just making furniture; they're documenting the entire production process. The quality must be very reliable," she said. Founded just 12 years ago, Tuantuan Yuan has become a "chain master" enterprise in Jiangxi's modern furniture industry. Its proximity to Ganzhou International Land Port allows products to move directly from factory floor to container, shipping globally via China-Europe Railway Express.

A Global Gateway for an Inland City

While furniture forms Nankang's foundation, the Ganzhou International Land Port serves as its strategic pivot. The tour group was struck by the port's scale—enormous containers stacked neatly, gantry cranes loading and unloading, and trains preparing for departure. For many visitors accustomed to seaports, this inland facility defied expectation. Operating since 2016 as China's eighth inland open port, it boasts an annual design throughput of 800,000 TEUs. By August 2026, it had dispatched over 1,800 China-Europe (Asia) freight trains and handled more than 1.85 million TEUs, accounting for over 80% of Jiangxi Province's total China-Europe Railway Express shipments.

The port has resolved the furniture industry's core challenge: importing timber and exporting finished goods. Previously, timber shipped from Russia could take months to arrive at high logistics costs. Now, via the freight rail network, import time has been slashed to just over ten days with significantly lower costs. This landlocked port has enabled Nankang to truly "buy wood globally, sell furniture globally." Looking ahead, the port plans to expand train routes and deepen integration, having been included in the departure port tax rebate policy list for both Guangzhou and Shenzhen ports.

The Next Frontier: Low-Altitude Economy Takes Flight

If furniture represents Nankang's past and the port its present, then the low-altitude economy embodies its future. The tour visited the Ganzhou Low-Altitude Economy Industrial Park in Longhui Town, a beneficiary of support from the Civil Aviation Administration of China (CAAC). The CAAC's backing helped Nankang secure designated flight airspace below 300 meters above ground, covering 44,000 square kilometers—among the largest contiguous drone flight zones in the country. Strategically positioned adjacent to the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, the park has attracted Shenzhen and Guangzhou drone companies seeking alternative locations for manufacturing and testing due to airspace restrictions and high land costs in their home cities.

The park, spanning about 1,000 mu, is built to Class B general aviation airport standards, featuring an 800-meter runway and China's first industrial-grade drone jet wind tunnel laboratory. It has provided over 4,500 hours of testing services and generated over 1 billion yuan in revenue across the industry chain. The park offers comprehensive services from R&D and testing to production for drone companies throughout Jiangxi and the Greater Bay Area. Behind this achievements lies a twelve-year relay of consistent effort—from the country's first drone logistics pilot program to one of its first civilian unmanned aircraft test zones, and now the pioneering wind tunnel facility.

Egyptian influencer Nouran Ahmed and her Chinese husband Han Chao reflected on their visit with genuine surprise. "A place with no timber resources somehow built the largest furniture industry cluster in the country—that's impressive on its own," Han said. "But it didn't stop there. Right beside it is the international land port where trains haul furniture directly to Europe. And then there's a low-altitude economy park where drones are developed, tested, and produced all in one location. Seeing these three things together was unexpected."

Nouran offered a broader perspective: "We use Chinese furniture in Egypt and know about the China-Europe Railway Express, but today I saw how it all comes together. A block of wood enters the factory and comes out as a chair. A container gets loaded onto a train and travels all the way to Europe. Drones go from concept to industry right here in Nankang. What I've seen here is the complete logic behind 'Made in China'—it's not just about speed, but about having a system."

What Drives the "Something-from-Nothing" Success?

Nankang's three industrial transformations share a common thread: the spirit of its people. The "something-from-nothing" narrative isn't about magic—it's about a community that dares to think boldly, act decisively, and persevere through uncertainty. Government officials and business leaders have worked together to find opportunities amid challenges.

As the 15th Five-Year Plan period begins, Nankang is positioning itself as a key industrial base, an inland open gateway, and a growth engine for the province's sub-center city. The district is implementing its "1362" development strategy, focusing on new quality productive forces, upgrading the furniture sector, nurturing emerging industries, deepening international cooperation, and building a model zone for high-quality development in the old revolutionary base areas. From ground level to the skies above, Nankang's industrial landscape continues to expand—and international influencers are now sharing this remarkable story of transformation with audiences worldwide.