Curtains "Made in Zhengzhou" Enter Europe, Capturing Over 30% of European Market Share

"Beneath the moonlit night, a curtain harbors gentle dreams; spring breeze brings tender affection for miles." This line by Qin Shaoyou, a celebrated poet of the Northern Song Dynasty, paints an ethereal picture of curtains. Now Zheng Xiao‑ou has a story to tell: curtains manufactured in Zhengzhou have found their way into ordinary households across Europe. Today, Zheng Xiao‑ou walks you through how these goods, once shipped westward by sea, now travel aboard the Zhengzhou‑Europe Freight Train. Carrying echoes of the ancient Silk Road, they grace homes across Europe thousands of miles away.

Change 1: The Zhengzhou‑Europe Train Reverses Fortunes — Lost Business Partners Return

On February 27, when journalists reached Zhang Nianqing, General Manager of Zhengzhou Mingyang Window Decoration Materials Co., Ltd., he was attending an international exhibition for sun‑shading products in a German city. This was his second professional trade show of the year. Back in January, at the Frankfurt Exhibition, former business partners unexpectedly took the initiative to resume cooperation.

Specialized in curtain manufacturing, the enterprise exports its products to Europe, Australia, South Africa and other regions. Following the launch of the second Zhengzhou‑Europe Freight Train in August 2013, the company, which had previously relied entirely on sea freight for exports, seized the opportunity presented by the rail service.

Statistics from commerce authorities show that Zhengzhou‑made curtains capture 30‑40 percent of Europe’s market share. Zhang Nianqing’s company has ranked top in the European market for over a decade. In 2013, it exported more than five million curtains. Thanks to the Zhengzhou‑Europe Freight Train, its export volume hit six million units the following year.

"The bright moon adorns your window, while you adorn another’s dream." On the morning of March 1, inside the factory of Zhengzhou Mingyang Window Decoration Materials Co., Ltd., workers finished assembling curtains of varied sizes — pull‑style and roll‑up alike. In roughly twenty days, these products will be loaded onto the Zhengzhou‑Europe Freight Train to adorn the dreams of European families.

Lu Zhenqian is Director of the General Administration Office. He can instantly tell the destination country of each curtain merely from its pattern, size and decorative features. Curtains destined for Germany feature clean lines and simple motifs; those bound for France boast bright colours and soft contours.

"The Zhengzhou‑Europe Freight Train is our trump card in negotiations with foreign clients," he remarked. Previously, talks with overseas buyers centred largely on product quality. Today, the rail service itself becomes a major selling point. In the past, goods were transported to Europe by sea via ports including Shanghai, Qingdao and Tianjin, a journey lasting 35‑50 days. When order adjustments occurred, air freight had to be used to ensure timely product launches in Europe.

By contrast, shipment via the Zhengzhou‑Europe Freight Train takes only half a month. The transit time cut of more than twenty‑plus days appeals greatly to European buyers, who note it lowers capital tied up in inventory and improves cash flow.

Change 3: Mingyang Curtains Become Regular Shippers; Both Sides Seek Long‑Term Partnership via Zhengzhou‑Europe Rail

In Europe, curtains function less as mere decorations and more as daily necessities. Most European buildings follow unified construction standards with standardised window dimensions, so residents can purchase matching curtain models in supermarkets. According to Lu Zhenqian, local curtains are often replaced after just a few years or even months once worn or damaged.

On March 2, officials of the Zhengzhou‑Europe Freight Train visited Mingyang to explore deeper long‑term cooperation. Company insiders shared that sea freight is now only retained for shipments bound for Australia, South Africa and other overseas territories, whereas European cargo travels by rail.

Zheng Xiao‑ou’s Background Story

On August 28, 2013, the second Zhengzhou‑Europe Freight Train departed. A compact 20‑foot container onboard carried ten thousand sets of Zhengzhou‑made curtains bound for Hamburg, Germany. The consignee was DECORA S.A., a well‑known Polish furniture and home decor enterprise; these curtains were intended for villas and high‑end apartments across Poland.

This marked the very first collaboration between Zhengzhou‑produced curtains and the Zhengzhou‑Europe Freight Train. Also aboard were outdoor sports garments from Tai’an, Shandong Province. The partnership proved immediately fruitful. Today, the export model for Zhengzhou‑origin curtains has become routine. The two‑week rail journey shortens the distance to European consumers. If a moonlit curtain holds poetic dreams, then this spring breeze blowing from Zhengzhou delivers tender affection across thousands of miles.

Article by Liu Ruizhao; photographs by Xu Junwen.