Lijiang Transportation – By Cruise

1. Current Status and Challenges of Jinsha River Shipping

The Jinsha River, an important tributary of the upper Yangtze River, has historically served as a key waterway connecting China’s inland southwest with the Yangtze River Economic Belt. In recent years, with the completion and impoundment of four giant hydropower hubs—Xiangjiaba (向家坝), Xiluodu (溪洛渡), Wudongde (乌东德), and Baihetan (白鹤滩)—a 752-kilometer stretch of high-grade inland waterways (Class III and above) has been formed in the lower reaches of the Jinsha River, laying a solid foundation for shipping development. In 2023, the total waterborne cargo volume at the Xiangjiaba section exceeded 9.6 million tons, and it is projected that by 2025 and 2035, the annual cargo volume in the lower reaches of the Jinsha River will reach 17 million tons and 32 million tons, respectively.

However, the development of Jinsha River shipping still faces numerous challenges. On one hand, due to historical limitations, the exploitation and utilization of water transport resources were not given sufficient importance during the construction of the Jinsha River hydropower projects. Except for the small ship lift at Xiangjiaba, the other three hydropower hubs did not include navigation facilities. On the other hand, the ship transfer capacity at Xiangjiaba has reached saturation, the transfer mechanism is inadequate, and the navigation markers, channel dredging at reservoir tails, and support systems are insufficient, resulting in a fragmented “lotus root-like” waterway.

2. Breakthroughs and Progress

Despite these challenges, significant breakthroughs have been made in Jinsha River shipping. On December 30, 2024, the Xiangjiaba ship lift achieved 24-hour operation, marking the full-day connectivity between the Xiangjiaba-Yibin (宜宾) section of the Jinsha River and the Yangtze River trunk line (downstream of Yibin), greatly enhancing the shipping capacity of the Jinsha River. The Xiangjiaba ship lift is China’s second giant ship lift after the Three Gorges ship lift, with a maximum lifting height of 114.2 meters—equivalent to a 40-story building—1.2 meters higher than that of the Three Gorges ship lift. Since its commissioning in May 2018, the performance of the Xiangjiaba ship lift has gradually stabilized, and its operational efficiency has continuously improved. With a designed annual cargo capacity of 1.12 million tons, it achieved its annual target ahead of schedule in 2020 and has since set multiple records.

3. Future Prospects

Looking ahead, the prospects for Jinsha River shipping are promising. On one hand, relevant departments are accelerating research and feasibility studies, actively engaging with domestic experts and academicians in transportation and water conservancy to promote the inclusion of navigation facilities for the high dams and large reservoirs in the lower Jinsha River in national and provincial plans, aiming to commence construction during the 15th Five-Year Plan period. On the other hand, the comprehensive construction project for shipping infrastructure in the middle reaches of the Jinsha River is also progressing rapidly. This project covers the Liyuan (梨园), Ahai (阿海), Jin’anqiao (金安桥), Longkaikou (龙开口), Ludila (鲁地拉), and Guanyinyan (观音岩) reservoirs in Lijiang City (丽江市), Dali Prefecture (大理州), and Chuxiong Prefecture (楚雄州). It is expected to include the construction of 22 docks, 6 major berthing points, and a 460-kilometer waterway. The project in Lijiang City alone will include 16 docks, 6 major berthing points, 96 general berthing points, and the construction of 48 vessels, including electric-powered new energy ships, passenger ships, tourist boats, and engineering vessels.

With the continuous improvement of shipping infrastructure and the steady enhancement of shipping capacity, the Jinsha River is poised to become a strategic open channel connecting the Yangtze River Economic Belt with the Western Land-Sea New Corridor, facilitating better integration of the inland southwest into national strategies such as the Belt and Road Initiative and the Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Circle.