The Nanjing Riverside Cruise welcomes its 3,000th voyage.

In September, the Yangtze River in the Nanjing section is wide and calm. Today, as the cruise ships "Yangtze Legend" and "Yangtze Love" steadily docked at the Wumadu Cruise Terminal, Nanjing Yangtze River Cruise Co., Ltd. is about to reach a milestone—cumulatively completing over 3,000 safe voyages and hosting more than 648,000 passengers. Among these, the "Sunset Night Cruise," launched on September 8, 2022, has also surpassed 500 voyages, with a total of 131,400 passengers. Over more than five years, with two ships and three thousand voyages, how did Nanjing's riverside cruises evolve from nothing to "dual-ship progress," and how did they become a flowing emblem of the city? The answer lies on the ever-flowing surface of the river.

From Zero to "Dual Ships," Pioneering Riverside Cruises in Jiangsu

Let’s go back to May 1, 2021, when Nanjing's first and Jiangsu's first riverside cruise ship, "Yangtze Legend," embarked on its maiden voyage from Wumadu Terminal. This approximately 27-kilometer, two-hour route starts at Wumadu and connects over ten cultural and natural landmarks, including the "First Cliff of the Yangtze River" Yanziji, Nanjing Yangtze River Bridge, the old site of Pukou Railway Station, the Crossing Victory Memorial Hall, Zhongshan Wharf, Yuejiang Tower, and the Yangtze River dolphin viewing area. It achieved a breakthrough in inland waterway tourism along the Jiangsu section of the Yangtze River and pioneered urban riverside tourism in this region.

Breaking the ice was no easy task. The Nanjing section of the Yangtze River sees an average daily ship traffic of about 1,500 vessels, with bridges, estuaries, and terminals densely distributed, creating a complex navigation environment. Operating tourist passenger ships regularly on such a "golden waterway" was rare nationwide at the time. Nanjing Yangtze River Cruise explored and improved as they went: on September 8, 2022, the "Sunset Night Cruise" was launched, pioneering the "day cruise + sunset night cruise" model, allowing tourists to enjoy the river's beauty during the day and its illuminated scenery at night, opening up new opportunities for Nanjing's nighttime economy. In October 2024, the country's longest inland twin-hull riverside passenger ship, "Yangtze Love," began operations, with a rated capacity of about 1,000 passengers, marking the entry of Nanjing's riverside cruises into the "dual-ship progress" era.

It’s still the same river, but the experiences have diversified. Today, riverside cruises have evolved beyond simple sightseeing into a comprehensive water tourism complex that integrates sightseeing, wedding celebrations, specialty dining, educational practice, business conferences, and party-building activities. Events like river-view New Year’s Eve dinners, river concerts, and intangible cultural heritage exhibitions are held in rotation, while the "River Classroom" has become a platform for children to learn about the Yangtze River. Product quality has brought recognition: the "Nanjing Wumadu Charming Riverside Cruise Route" was recognized by the Ministry of Transport as a "National Boutique Waterway Tourism Passenger Transport Demonstration Route," and the "Yangtze Legend" tourism integration project was selected as a second-batch demonstration case for the integration of transportation and tourism development, making it the only cruise tourism project along the main Yangtze River line in Jiangsu.

Safety First: Weaving a Comprehensive Water Safety Net

Passenger ship safety is paramount. Behind more than five years, over 3,000 voyages, and nearly 650,000 tourists is a safety line jointly upheld by the company and regulatory authorities.

As the primary entity responsible for safety production, Nanjing Yangtze River Cruise has embedded the concept of "safety" into every voyage: conducting thorough "health checks" before each departure to ensure no ship sails with issues; establishing a risk classification control and hazard investigation mechanism with a closed-loop rectification process; regularly organizing drills for life-saving, firefighting, and passenger evacuation; and routinely conducting hands-on training and duty performance exercises for crew members. The company also implements closed-loop management for the collection, transfer, and disposal of ship-generated domestic sewage, garbage, shore power usage, and oily wastewater, making green practices a hallmark of riverside cruises. Additionally, the company has equipped its two cruise ships with AI intelligent monitoring systems to provide smart warnings for various risk scenarios, strengthening "technical defense" to complement "human defense."

The steady growth of the company also relies on the support of local party committees, governments, and departments such as maritime and transportation. To address the complex navigation environment, the Nanjing Maritime Department has taken the lead in building a comprehensive safety assurance system, establishing safety supervision joint meetings and joint inspection mechanisms, improving emergency rescue systems, and implementing short-term disaster weather warnings and a "call-and-response" mechanism. They have designated the No. 5 bridge hole of the Nanjing Yangtze River Bridge as a dedicated navigation channel and route for cruise ships, set up a dedicated VTS monitoring station, implemented safety guarantees and onboard supervision, and relied on an all-element water "big traffic management" system, a three-tier "far, medium, near" control system, and a "three-in-one" air patrol system to implement full-process, three-dimensional monitoring of cruise ship navigation. Maritime patrol boats have escorted key voyages and night cruises throughout their journeys. Over the past five years, maritime departments have dispatched law enforcement personnel more than 5,000 times and provided escort services for over 2,700 hours. Through onboard supervision, emergency drills, and precise services, they have resolved issues at the bow and mitigated risks before voyages, ensuring every passenger's safe boarding and return.

Using the River as a Medium: Cultivating New Cultural and Tourism Dynamics

A single route has revitalized the Yangtze River and nurtured new cultural and tourism dynamics for a city. After more than five years of dedicated effort, Nanjing Yangtze River Cruise has grown from a single ship into a water-based cultural and tourism enterprise with assets exceeding 100 million yuan and annual revenue surpassing 100 million yuan, directly creating nearly 100 jobs. The "Sunset Night Cruise," with nearly 500 night voyages and 131,400 night tourists, has extended the consumption chain of dining, accommodation, and shopping, injecting vitality into Nanjing's nighttime economy. The Wumadu Terminal has become the only mid-point stop for inter-provincial cruises in Jiangsu, transforming visitors from "passing through Nanjing" to "understanding Nanjing."

Using ships as a medium and the river as a canvas: in spring, admire cherry blossoms at Muyan; in summer, watch Yangtze River dolphins frolic in the waves; in autumn, climb Yuejiang Tower to reflect on history; in winter, view the snowy scenery of Jinling. Riverside cruises encapsulate Nanjing's mountains, rivers, cityscape, Yangtze River culture, and urban memories into a two-hour journey, becoming a "mobile reception room" showcasing the achievements of Yangtze River ecological protection and the transformation of riverside shorelines. This accelerates Nanjing's water tourism from the "Qinhuai River era" to the "Yangtze River era."

Three thousand voyages mark a milestone and a new starting point. Standing at the threshold of a new journey, Nanjing Yangtze River Cruise Co., Ltd. will continue to uphold its primary responsibility for safety production, refine its water-based cultural and tourism products, and enrich its high-quality offerings. With the support of local governments and departments such as maritime and transportation, it will further integrate into the construction of the Yangtze River International Golden Tourism Belt, ensuring that the story of the "Yangtze Legend" continues to unfold along the banks of the Yangtze in Jinling.