The Inland Henan Province Rejuvenates the River Transport System, Acctively Connecting with the “Maritime Silk Road”

The Inland Henan Province Rejuvenates the River Transport System, Acctively Connecting with the “Maritime Silk Road”

内陆河南复兴河运 无缝衔接“海上丝路”

The cranes at the Zhoukou port slowly lift the containers containing Lianhua gourmet powders onto the ship, a local brand seasoning in Zhoukou, Henan province. In recent days, a ship loaded with more than 50 tons of Lianhua gourmet powders set sail from Zhoukou Central Port, passing through the Shaying River, into the main stream Huaihe River and then into the Yangtze river. The gourmet powders were finally transferred to Africa and Nigeria via Shanghai port. 

码头岸边的起重机缓缓将集装箱吊放在船上，里面装着河南周口本地生产的莲花味精。前不久，50多吨莲花味精从周口中心港码头起航，经沙颍河入淮河干流，再入长江，经由上海港转运到非洲尼日利亚。

Henan is not only the starting point of the ancient Silk Road in the East, but also one of the regions with great development potential and influence in modern China. Owing to its rich history, profound culture, geographical advantage, and development foundation , Henan is facing with more opportunities to become a pioneer in the field of opening-up and become a main force of constructing the “Belt and Road”.

河南是古丝绸之路的东方起点，又是当今中国极具发展潜力和影响力的区域之一，无论是历史渊源、文化积淀，还是区位条件、发展基础，都有条件走向开放前沿，成为参与“一带一路”建设的重要枢纽节点省份。

To improve the comprehensive transport system and open wider to the outside world, Henan has made great efforts to develop its inland water transportation in recent years, and formed two water transport channels on the Shaying River and Huaihe River. By June this year, the cruising range has reached more than 1,500 kilometers, and 90 ports and berths of various types have been built.

为补齐综合交通运输体系短板和扩大对外开放需要，河南近年来大力发展内河航运，形成了沙颍河、淮河两条通江达海的水运通道。截至今年6月，全省通航里程达1500多公里，建设各类港口泊位90多个。

“Henan’s inland water transportation has a long history. Even in the 1960s, there were still 27 rivers connecting to other great river systems and the seas, with a cruising range of 6,100 kilometers, but it gradually withered.” Wang Dong, director of the Shipping Administration Bureau of Henan Provincial Department of Transportation, told the reporter.

“河南的内河航运历史悠久，即使到20世纪60年代，仍有27条河流可通江达海，通航里程达6100多公里，此后却逐步衰落。”河南省交通运输厅航务局局长王东说。

At present, Henan is implementing a water transportation rejuvenation project, planning to invest 179 billion yuan to build more than 2,700 kilometers of new waterway, 1,900 kilometers of rebuilt waterway, 280 ports and berths, and increase its harbour capacity by 140 million tons.

目前，河南省正在实施千亿水运复兴工程，计划利用15年时间，完成投资1790亿元，新建航道2700多公里、改建航道1900多公里，新增码头泊位280个，新增港口吞吐能力1.4亿吨。

To connect with the “Maritime Silk Road”, Zhoukou signed a strategic cooperation agreement with Zhengzhou Airport Economy Zone and Henan Materials Group Co., Ltd to jointly build a multi-modal transport hub, and signed a strategic alliance agreement with Jiangsu Lianyungang Port Holding Group to make Zhoukou Central Port into an outlet of Henan Commodities.

为与“丝绸之路”对接，周口市与郑州航空港经济综合试验区、河南物资集团公司签订战略合作协议，共同打造“公铁水”多式联运枢纽；与连云港港口控股集团签订联盟框架协议，努力把周口中心港打造成豫货出海口。

Zhoukou’s gourmet powder, Canada’s wheat, Southeast Asia’s rosewood, Henan’s grains...Through Zhoukou Central Port, the products from all over the world are transported to Henan, and vice versa, seamlessly connecting with the “Maritime Silk Road”. 

周口的味精、加拿大的小麦、东南亚的红木、河南的粮食……经由周口中心港，世界各地的货物售入河南，河南的货物卖往全球，无缝衔接“海上丝绸之路”。（记者/顾立林 刘怀丕 刘高阳 编译/赵汉青）