On July 18, the second channel of Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal (Hangzhou Section) was open to navigation. So far, the thousand-year-old canal has become the high-quality canal route for common prosperity to connect the north and the south.
This is not only a transportation hub, but also a "water expressway" to stimulate economic benefits. The project relocates Hangzhou urban section of the ancient canal to the east and opens up a new waterway, able to accommodate 1,000-tonnage cargo ships, which brings new opportunities for the development structure of logistics along Zhejiang's inland rivers, and the economic development of the inland water transport.
Water transport can save logistics costs to enhance the product competitiveness of Hangzhou. "The most advantageous aspect is the foreign trade container business." Yu Jingyang, the president of Hangzhou Port Affairs Group Co., Ltd., introduced: "The Canal Passage II can achieve the sea-river combined transport model, able to reduce the comprehensive logistics costs by over 20% and significantly shorten the time."