How Rongxian Became the “China Capital of Bent Panels”

A small special-shaped bent panel tells the story of a county’s industrial rise. Starting from scattered small workshops, Rongxian has grown into a large-scale industrial cluster. It has evolved from simple semi-finished product processing to full-chain independent production, expanding from the domestic market to cooperation with global industry leaders. After decades of dedication to the bent panel industry, Rongxian in Guangxi holds more than 70% of China’s market share. It has earned the title of “China Capital of Bent Plywood (Bent Panels)” and built a renowned characteristic industry that drives local prosperity at home and abroad.

Also known as special-shaped plywood, bent panels serve as core supporting substrates for furniture manufacturing. Widely used in chair backrests, seat cushions, tabletops, table legs, speaker casings, home furnishings and cultural products, they stand out as preferred materials for modern residential and commercial design thanks to excellent malleability and structural stability. Rongxian Ecological Wood Industry Park has moved beyond traditional extensive production. Intelligence and automation now define its industrial landscape. Inside dust-free standardized workshops, workers input CNC parameters accurately, and intelligent profiling robots efficiently cut and shape panels. Daily output can reach 6,000 pieces, with products exported to Australia, the United States and other regions amid robust sales.

The rise of Rongxian’s bent panel industry began with opportunities brought by China’s reform and opening-up. Endowed with abundant eucalyptus resources and located close to the Greater Bay Area, Rongxian successfully accepted industrial transfer from Guangdong’s furniture sector. After the former state-owned Rongxian Plywood Factory underwent restructuring and closed, many skilled workers started their own businesses and set up small plywood workshops. At that time, the furniture industry in Foshan, Guangdong was booming with strong demand for high-quality eucalyptus bent panels. The two regions formed close industrial links: buyers traveled to Rongxian for customized orders, while local merchants opened showrooms in Shunde Furniture City, Foshan to display products and technologies. Driven by mutual collaboration, the local bent panel industry took root and expanded steadily. It attracted numerous woodworking machinery and furniture supporting enterprises to settle here, gradually forming a complete industrial chain covering R&D, production and sales.

Supported by reliable quality and first-mover advantages, Rongxian’s bent panels captured over 70% of China’s market share back in the 1990s, securing its leading position in the sector. Strong market reputation enabled Rongxian bent panels to go global. In 2008, the first shipment of Rongxian bent panels departed from Shekou Port in Shenzhen to the United States, becoming key components for popular office swivel chairs. In 2015, after on-site inspections, world-famous furniture brand IKEA recognized Rongxian’s complete industrial chain and massive production capacity and established long-term partnerships. Since then, Rongxian has supplied bent panels for IKEA furniture sold worldwide, emerging as a core supplier to the international furniture giant.

In 2020, Rongxian was officially awarded the title of “China Capital of Bent Plywood (Bent Panels)”, confirming its status as China’s hub for the bent panel industry. Building on its industrial foundation, Rongxian refused to remain trapped in low-end semi-finished processing. It proactively promoted industrial transformation, improved and extended the industrial chain to break the bottleneck of low added value and slim profit margins. Local authorities built an e-commerce incubation base to encourage corporate innovation. Original finished products such as smart bedside cabinets and multi-functional pet furniture became online bestsellers. Meanwhile, more than ten finished furniture manufacturers were introduced. This “catfish effect” pushed the whole industry to innovate and helped numerous traditional panel processors shift to full-chain operation. Many established panel factories upgraded into furniture groups capable of independent R&D, production and sales of finished furniture. Their export product portfolio kept upgrading, bringing several-fold profit growth.

After decades of development and upgrading, Rongxian has formed a huge and well-organized bent panel industrial cluster. Currently, the county hosts 132 bent panel manufacturers with a daily production capacity of 400,000 pieces. It is China’s largest bent panel production base with the most complete industrial chain and highest market occupancy rate. From rural workshops to a national industrial brand, from raw material processing to global finished product supply, Rongxian has delivered an inspiring example of transformation for featured county-level industries — all starting from a small bent panel.