Yangtze River town plans to be next transport hub

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Shuifu is a typical town along the Yangtze River. Built around a large chemical plant, this small town in southwest China's Yunnan Province was founded in 1974. For many years, the chemical plant has been the pillar of the local economy.

But as the chemical plant’s profit is falling and polluting local waters via dumping is no longer permitted, the future of the county is hanging in the balance.

Ai Yonglian, head of the transportation bureau in Shuifu County. /CGTN Photo

Ai Yonglian, head of the local transportation bureau, is working on a solution. “This town will get rich by having a new port,” he said.

Ai is confident that the new port of Shuifu will be prosperous because of its location – it is the first dock in the western region of the Yangtze River. If ships come in, it will greatly reduce the cost of moving goods from Yunnan to as far as Shanghai.

A dock was built in 2010, and the current plan is to expand it to handle over 500 tons of cargo capacity, which will help transport agricultural products from Yunnan via the river.

“The cost of shipping transportation along the river is 65 yuan per ton kilometer,” Ai said. “It will bring more income to farmers, and make us a transportation hub along the Yangtze River.”

Shuifu Port in the western region of the Yangtze River. /CGTN Photo

The plan brings with it some drawbacks – unless the dock is designed to accommodate even larger capacities, big ships still won't be able to reach it. The route between this dock and Yibin, the next dock downstream, offers limited dimensions.

Yet Ai is hoping to expand the channel to allow 5,000-ton ships to dock in this port.

First he needs to finish building the dock, which if as planned, will be fully operational in 2019.

Reaching its intended capacity, however, will take more efforts. As protection of the Yangtze River is now paramount, the future of this small town depends on the hopeful and eventual success of Shuifu Port.

(Cover image: an aerial view of Shuifu County along the Yangtze River. /CGTN Photo)