Fully loaded with furniture, home appliances and machinery, the first regular freight train linking southern China's Guangdong province and Germany left Dongguan on Thursday afternoon. The train is expected to reach Duisburg in Germany after 19 days, 15 days shorter than the current sea transportation.

The train will travel 13,488 kilometers and pass through Russia, Belarus and Poland before reaching Duisburg. It boasts the longest journey between China and Europe.

Guangdong is the leading Chinese province for foreign trade, with its exports nearing 30 percent of the country's total. The new route will see trains set out from Dongguan every Thursday.