From Central China to Central Asia, Henan's freight trains are writing a new chapter in the legacy of the Silk Road.

On June 17, the CR Intermodal Zhengzhou Terminal was bustling with activity, as container trucks shuttled back and forth and gantry cranes operated non-stop. As one of China's first-class railway port, the terminal serves as a major hub for international freight trains from Henan and plays a key role in connecting Central China with the world.

Early in the morning, Gong Yundan, operations supervisor at the CR Intermodal Zhengzhou Terminal, arrived at the site. "Two return trains from Central Asia carrying feed-grade wheat flour are arriving. We need to unload the containers quickly," she said.

"Since January, there has been a significant increase in the number of Central Asia freight trains," Gong Yundan showed a chart to the reporter and explained, "So far, the terminal has dispatched 76 outbound trains to Central Asia and handled 213 return trains this year."

By midday, after unloading cargo from two return trains from Central Asia, another Central Asia-bound train, fully loaded with machinery such as bridge launching machines and tractors, along with plastic pellets and washing machines, rumbled away.

Since the launch of Henan's first Central Asia-bound freight train (Zhengzhou–Tashkent) on May 18, 2018, more than 2,000 trains have been dispatched, with destinations expanding to cities including Almaty in Kazakhstan over the past seven years.

Across the vast Eurasian continent, fully loaded freight trains carrying "Made in China" goods thunder across mountains and deserts in a resolute and dynamic demeanor, earning the nickname "steel camels" as they connect Central China with Central Asian countries.

"Over the past seven years, the cargo transported by Henan's freight trains to Central Asia has evolved from primary products such as grains and cotton yarn to high value-added goods including machinery, engineering equipment, mining machinery, construction plant equipment, new energy vehicles, textiles and apparel, snacks, and household appliances," said a staff from Zhengzhou International Hub Development and Construction Company. He added that outbound trains mostly carry goods originating from Henan and surrounding areas, mainly serving the province's industrial and trade development, while return trains primarily transport bulk commodities like cotton yarn, mung beans, and ores.

Henan's opening-up momentum is driving deeper and higher-quality cooperation between Central China and the five Central Asian countries.

China Railway Express (Zhengzhou) has launched a special train dedicated to Henan's green tea, bringing its aroma to Central Asia. At the Dongfanghong (Luoyang) International Land Port, regular Central Asia-bound freight trains are in operation, transporting a wide range of "Made in Henan" products - from tractors and refractory materials to photovoltaic components and home building supplies -to the five Central Asian countries. TIR international road transport routes from Henan to Central Asia are becoming increasingly frequent, supported by streamlined procedures such as single declaration, one permit throughout the journey, and direct point-to-point delivery. In May this year, a new "China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan" multimodal transport route combining rail and road was launched, further strengthening the southbound logistics corridor from Zhengzhou to Central Asia.

The partnership between Central China and Central Asia is growing broader with each passing year. (Chinese source: Henan Daily Reporter: Wang Yanhui Translator: Yang Jiaxin Proofreader: Jiao Dan and Zhao Hanqing)