Stories of High-Quality Development | Chongqing: A 'world's transfer hub' with connections in all directions

Products are shipped from enterprises to Chongqing Guoyuan Port, cleared by customs and exported overseas. In the meantime, goods from all over the world are also gathered at the port and distributed to all parts of the country with the help of an extensive logistics network.

With the development of multimodal transport encompassing waterways, rail and road, and the smooth flow of logistics in the all directions, Guoyuan Port has transformed from a former "bulk cargo terminal" into the largest multimodal transport hub port on China's inland rivers, and is becoming a "world's transfer hub" for commodity trade.

Guoyuan Port was opened in 2013 and has undergone gradual development. Hu Wanqi, vice director of the operations department of Chongqing Guoyuan Container Terminal Co., Ltd., has witnessed its development.

"10 years ago, I started work at the port as a crane operator. At that time, the port was just starting out with only two gantry cranes and two quay cranes. Now we have 32 remote-controlled gantry cranes and eight quay cranes handling a large number of container loading and unloading operations every day," Hu said.

"I deal with containers every day," said Hu. The level of activity at the port is a barometer of economic vitality. From the busy Guoyuan Port, people can see the surging vitality of Chongqing and even the national economy.

Logistics is the "tendons and veins" of the real economy, connecting production with consumption, and domestic demand with foreign trade.

"We are frontline logistics workers, which means we are on the frontline of opening-up," said Hu, adding that in recent years, the Guoyuan Port has accelerated the construction of a smart port, with paperless platforms, remote control operation platforms and other applications gradually being put into operation. It has implemented a model that enables the handling of vessels docking at the port and customs clearance in parallel, improving logistics and customs efficiency.

The Guoyuan Port now links over 100 countries and regions globally. Providing quick access to these places, it has become a leading open gateway. With the Guoyuan Port as a major hub, Chongqing, an inland city, is getting closer to the world.