Journeying the Belt and Road Episode 5: Fresh off the Port

World
Europe

01:48

It is our privilege to travel on a vessel ship along the Belt and Road route. We depart from the Port of Ningbo Zhoushan, the last stop in China for COSCO SHIPPING's cargo ship, to follow the path of the maritime economic belt to Southeast Asia, Africa, and Europe.

The entire trip from China to Europe will take about 30 days, and today is our first day on the shipping route. So far, we are still excited. Curiosity motivates us to explore every section of the giant vessel.

The vessel has a total length of 399.8 meters and width 58.6 meters. It is almost as big as four soccer fields.

The height of the cargo vessel is 73 meters. The ship can load 20,119 containers. /CGTN Photo

However, life without Wi-Fi is challenging, so we file our reports using special satellite equipment. When we are not working, we basically do nothing. Such a lifestyle helps us not to be addicted to computers and smartphones, but pay more attention to what is happening around us.

Besides seawater, we are surrounded by almost 20,000 large containers on the vessel. Many goods loaded in Ningbo are small-sized items, such as silk products and toys.

China Media Group reporters file reports using satellite equipment. /CGTN Photo‍

The goods will be shipped to ports along the route, including Singapore, Piraeus, Antwerp, Rotterdam and Hamburg. The vessel will travel from China's East Sea to South China Sea, Strait of Malacca, Indian Ocean, Gulf of Aden, the Red Sea, through the Suez Canal and all the way to the Atlantic.

This year marks the fifth anniversary since China proposed the Belt and Road initiative, revitalizing the economic belt. Over the past five years, trade along the route thrived.

Cargo containers on the ship. /CGTN Photo

Six hundred years ago, the Chinese admiral Zheng He sailed from China through the Indian Ocean and brought China's silk products to the Arabic world.

On this vessel, we are taking a much more advanced transportation tool compared with that of 600 years ago. In the coming month, we will tell stories about the prosperous trade cooperation between countries along the route under the Belt and Road framework.