Dongzhou Port
Dongzhou Port is situated on the southern shore of Dongzhou Island in Fuyang District, Hangzhou, at the strategic confluence of the Fuchun River, Puyang River, and Qiantang River. As the largest inland container handling port in Hangzhou Port, it is also the city’s only inland international feeder port registered with a World Port Index number.
Functioning as a hub connecting sea, river, and canal transportation, the port sees a constant flow of vessels year-round, with frequent docking and unloading of 500 to 1,000-ton cargo ships. Generations of boat operators have thrived here—from seasoned veterans like Lai Hongfang, who has over 40 years of experience transporting sand, gravel, and other building materials between Jiande and the Xiaoshao region, hoping to increase his income with more voyages, to younger generations like Xu Xiucheng, a post-95s boatman who started working with his father at twenty and now captains container ships shuttling between Dongzhou, Xiasha, and Zhapu. He has long mastered the 190-kilometer journey, including navigation timing and docking skills. Most of these boatmen work year-round without breaks—carefully docking under the glaring summer sun, often undertaking all-night voyages to meet delivery deadlines, with empty return trips their greatest fear, as they mean zero income.
Photo Retrieved From 潮新闻 Website July 9th, 2025
The port primarily handles cargo from Fuyang, Quzhou, and other regions, connecting to global markets via the "Dongzhou-Zhapu-Ningbo" shipping route. Leveraging an intelligent platform, ships can be loaded and unloaded quickly upon arrival, allowing boatmen to avoid long waits and achieve a vessel utilization rate of over 99.5%. This system preserves the vibrant essence of waterway transport while providing stable job security for those in the profession. Today, Dongzhou Port remains a "waterway station" for boatmen, where traditional skills and modern logistics coexist harmoniously.