Crossing Mountains and Seas, Holding Hands with the World, Guangzhou Port: Seamless Connection with the Seaport | Guangzhou Port | Connection

There are many red and white giant suspension bridges, and countless trailer cranes shuttle. Guangzhou Port, located at the the Pearl River estuary, is the largest comprehensive main hub port and container trunk port in South China. Looking from the shore, the blue ocean and cargo boxes intertwined and reflected, as if telling the story of the trade between the thousand year old commercial capital that never closed.

This port, with a history of over two thousand years, witnessed and participated in the prosperity of the ancient Maritime Silk Road, and its role in the development of China's foreign trade has become increasingly prominent. In 2013, the "the Belt and Road" initiative was proposed. In the past 10 years, innumerable ships of 10000 tons set sail from Guangzhou Port to countries along the "the Belt and Road", injecting continuous momentum into the "Silk Road Economic Belt" and the "21st Century Maritime Silk Road".

The Nansha Port area of Guangzhou Port is lined with giant cranes. Photo by Ma Tianyi, a journalist from People's Daily Online

Guangzhou Port Nansha Port Area is one of the busiest ports in the world. The function of connecting internal and external channels makes Nansha's advantages irreplaceable in building a new pattern of "dual circulation" development.

From small boats carrying silk, tea, and porcelain to large container ships carrying new energy vehicles, fruits, and coffee beans today, Nansha Port Area has gradually become a "cargo carrier" for buying and selling globally. Currently, over 600 enterprises have registered here to carry out cross-border e-commerce. "Cross border e-commerce products can clear customs 24 hours a day, and consumers can receive the goods on the same day at the earliest after placing an order," Liu Heshun, Deputy General Manager of Guangzhou Port Logistics Co., Ltd., said in an interview with People's Daily.

There is an old saying in the port and shipping industry: "Whether a port is big or not depends on its throughput; whether a port is strong or not depends on its containers." As a super large port that ranks fifth in the world in terms of annual cargo throughput and sixth in terms of annual container throughput, Guangzhou Port has been constantly seeking new ideas and changes.

On December 31, 2021, the Nansha Port Railway was completed and opened to traffic, becoming the first passenger and freight double track railway to enter the Nansha Free Trade Zone of the Guangdong Hong Kong Macao Greater Bay Area; On May 30, 2023, the first China Europe freight train was launched on the Nansha Port Railway, achieving a seamless connection between the "Land Silk Road" and the "Sea Silk Road"... The continuously smooth internal and external transportation channels are refreshing the "time and space distance" of China Europe trade.

"Ports play an important role as gateways in China's economic construction and foreign trade development, and port logistics is an important part of connecting the domestic logistics network and the foreign route network, which is the channel and channel of economic development." Liu Heshun said, "In recent years, the country's proposal to jointly build the" the Belt and Road "has brought new opportunities for the development of Guangzhou Port and Guangzhou Port logistics. As the only large-scale comprehensive hub port in Nansha, Guangzhou Port Nansha Port Area has received many supports in terms of preferential railway freight rates, government support policies and other aspects."

Change leads to success, and success leads to prosperity. If the "land sea intermodal transportation" has connected the "Ren Du two veins" of Nansha, and "utilizing geographical advantages to achieve transformation and upgrading", it will ignite the promising future of Huangpu Old Port with a spark.

The Huangpu Port pier is bustling with activity. Photo by Ma Tianyi, a journalist from People's Daily Online

Over the past 10 years, Huangpu Port has actively responded to the initiative of jointly building the "the Belt and Road", actively integrated into the construction of the "Guangdong Hong Kong Macao Greater Bay Area", and given full play to its geographical advantages to connect the country, connect with Hong Kong and Macao, and link enterprises. "In recent years, the annual cargo throughput of Huangpu Port has exceeded 26 million tons, and the annual container throughput has exceeded 1.2 million standard containers, an increase of 72% in ten years." Huang Zhengdong, Secretary of the Party Committee and General Manager of Huangpu Port Branch of Guangzhou Port Co., Ltd., said, "Next, Huangpu Port will provide lower cost and higher quality loading and unloading logistics services for cooperative enterprises, relying on the Guangzhou Port University platform to collaborate with railways and water 'Guangzhou Port Shuttle Buses' to create more convenient logistics channel products."

A hundred rivers return to the sea, and a thousand sails race to set sail. Guangzhou Port is stepping into a new era, and the real results brought by the "the Belt and Road" initiative are "landing flowers" here. Guangzhou Port, which continuously contributes to deepening exchanges and cooperation and enhancing friendly exchanges, has a promising future.