The cargo ship splits the clear water and unleashes layers of waves. On the banks of Wujiang River, Zhao Chengyun held a walkie-talkie and directed the cargo ship to pass through the dangerous shoals.

55-year-old Zhao Chengyun is the chief captain of Guizhou Yanhe Wujiang Ship Co., Ltd. It is the dry season, and the mudflats are exposed, which affects the safety of sailing. Whenever the ship team wants to cross the dangerous shoals, he will drive to the riverside in advance to command.

On December 2, 2024, the construction of the Guizhou section of the Wujiang third-level waterway started. The channel involved in this project is 431 kilometers long and there are three hydropower stations on the main stream channel. "There is a natural river at the end of each hydropower station, and the navigation conditions are poor. This is the part we focus on rectifying." Huang Longjiang, deputy commander of the Wujiang Third-level Waterway Construction Engineering Command, introduced that after completion, the standard of navigable ships will be increased from the existing 500-ton level to 1,000-ton level.

The Wujiang River is the largest tributary on the right bank of the Yangtze River and an important shipping channel for Guizhou to connect the outside world. It is called the "Golden Waterway". At the beginning of this century, the Wujiang River was shut down for a while due to the construction of a cascade power station. In 2016, Wujiang Silin and Shatuo ship lifts were completed and put into use one after another, and cargo ships could climb over the dam and continue moving forward by taking the "elevator". In June 2021, the navigation project of Wujiang Gopitan Hydropower Station was put into trial operation. Since then, the water transportation channel from Guizhou to the Yangtze River has been fully connected.

"In the past, I could drive a 100-ton ship, but now I can drive a 500-ton ship." Zhao Chengqiang said that in the past, Guizhou's phosphate ore, wood, tung oil, etc. were transported back to salt and agricultural supplies. Now, the steel rope made in Guizhou is transported out and some bulk goods are transported into it.

At the end of 2024, the joint dispatching and trial operation test work of "one-time declaration and continuous approval" of multi-stage navigation buildings in Wujiang, Guizhou and Chongqing provinces and cities was completed. Now declare on your mobile phone in advance before departure, and you can pass through the five-level navigation hub continuously, reducing the overall passage time by more than 30%.

"After the completion of the third-level waterway of Wujiang and the corresponding navigation facilities, 1,000-ton ships can be opened from the Wujiang Ferry in Zunyi, Guizhou to Gongtan in Gongtan in Chongqing, with a larger transportation scale and lower transportation costs." Huanglongjiang said.