In the early spring of 1981, Chen Wenbiao, clutching a crumpled ticket and carrying 20,000 buttons, boarded a green train from Zhejiang province to Linyi, Shandong province. Despite the weight bending his back, his resolve to succeed remained unbroken.

Now, Chen stands as a prominent entrepreneur in the Linyi Trade City of Linyi. Over the course of 44 years, he has witnessed the trade city's transformation from muddy paths to a global trade hub, a journey mirroring Linyi's evolution from a revolutionary base to a significant commercial and logistics center.

In 2024, Linyi Trade City's market transactions reached 660.48 billion yuan ($92.79 billion), with logistics expenses amounting to over 1 trillion yuan. This success is built on layers of development.

Initially, Chen sold buttons on a plastic sheet in a poplar grove near a bus station. Within two days, he earned his first fortune — over 100 yuan, a considerable sum of money at that time. The next year, fixed stalls made of cement slabs emerged under greenhouses, marking the embryonic form of Linyi Trade City.

Over a decade, Linyi embraced a wave of market developments, giving rise to specialized markets like clothing, footwear, and stationery. Chen expanded his offerings to include stationery and student supplies. Then, he moved to Lantian cultural and sports center, where his business flourished. 

Similar to Chen's experience, Linyi Trade City has since evolved through five stages: from small stalls to greenhouses, specialized markets, modern trade logistics centers, and internationalization. Today, the trade city boasts the largest cluster of professional markets in China, a key logistics hub, and a wholesale center, earning titles like "renowned trade city of China" and "China's logistics capital".

Linyi Trade City's success is also reflected in its logistics. In 2006, Geng Yanzhou arrived from Anhui province, drawn by Linyi's reputation as a logistics hub. He started in a shabby shed and later built his own factory in 2016. His products now reach over 31 provinces and 20 countries, thanks to Linyi's extensive logistics network.

Moreover, Linyi Trade City has evolved from "selling globally" to "linking globally". Local businesses, like Li Zunmei's wholesale of cups and pots, have expanded overseas through expos in places like Uzbekistan and Angola.

Linyi Trade City has 59 overseas markets and warehouses and 13 global exhibition certifications. In 2024, over 1,500 companies participated in international expos, and the trade city attracted 32,700 international merchants from January to September. Linyi's government supports businesses with training and platforms like Amazon and Alibaba. From January to August this year, Linyi Trade City's market transactions, logistics, and foreign trade reached 471.79 billion yuan, 719.26 billion yuan, and 78.18 billion yuan, respectively.