Shanghai's Pudong: Innovation hub for aircraft, shipbuilding industries
Updated 15:49, 11-Nov-2020
By Liu Jiaxin
01:50

Shanghai's Pudong New Area, which is the birthplace of China's air and sea ambitions, has seen 30 years of innovation in China's aircraft and shipbuilding industries.

China's first domestically made passenger jet, the Y-10, was born here. The 40-year-old aircraft was put on display in Pudong since November. 

Her sisters, the ARJ21, which received 616 domestic and international orders since 2008, and the more recent C919, were both designed and assembled in Shanghai. 

China's domestic-developed jet ARJ21 has received 616 orders since 2008./ Photo via COMAC

China's domestic-developed jet ARJ21 has received 616 orders since 2008./ Photo via COMAC

“Pudong is where the C919 made its maiden flight, on May 5, 2017, taking off from the Pudong International Airport's fourth runway,” says Zheng Dayong, deputy general manager of Commercial Aircraft Corporation of China's (COMAC) Shanghai Aircraft Manufacturing Co. LTD.

China's home-grown jet C919 takes off from the Pudong International Airport's fourth runway for its maiden flight on May 5, 2017. /Photo via COMAC

China's home-grown jet C919 takes off from the Pudong International Airport's fourth runway for its maiden flight on May 5, 2017. /Photo via COMAC

Pudong's imprint isn't just in the sky, but at sea as well. The world's largest cargo vessel powered by liquefied natural gas, or LNG, was delivered here by Chinese shipbuilder Hudong-Zhonghua in September this year.

China delivers the world's largest dual-fuel LNG container ship in September, 2020./Photo via Hudong-Zhonghua shipbuilding Co.LTD

China delivers the world's largest dual-fuel LNG container ship in September, 2020./Photo via Hudong-Zhonghua shipbuilding Co.LTD

Chairman of Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding Company, Chen Jianliang, said the ship is currently the most advanced of its kind in the world. “We won a ‘gold medal’ in this field for our efforts,” Chen said.  

As one of the cradles for China’s military and civilian ships, Hudong-Zhonghua Shipbuilding vows to continue to make new breakthroughs with vessels. 

"The shipbuilding industry has always had three jewels. They are aircraft carriers, LNG ships, and luxury cruise ships. China has made the first two kinds, and we are in the process of making our first luxury cruise ships,” Chen told CGTN. He believes China can make the best of the world’s military, cargo, and passenger ships in the near future.