In 2026, the cargo throughput at ports along the Yangtze River mainstream during the Spring Festival travel rush is expected to exceed 400 million tonnes.

　　The 2026 Spring Festival travel rush concluded on March 13. On the 14th, reporters learned from the Yangtze River Navigation Administration of the Ministry of Transport that during the 40-day travel rush, the cargo volume entering and leaving ports on the Yangtze River mainline exceeded 400 million tons, with 7.33 million passengers sent. Among them, the cargo volume entering and leaving ports increased by 6.33% compared to the same period in 2025.

　　As the major east-west transportation artery of China, the logistics data of the Yangtze River "Golden Waterway" during the Spring Festival travel rush has become an important window to observe economic dynamics. During the travel rush, the Yangtze River shipping continued to ensure the transportation of key urgent materials such as electric coal and aviation kerosene, with coal transportation reaching 87.742 million tons, an increase of 7.69% compared to the same period in 2025; it supported the export of machinery, equipment, and electrical products, deepening the maritime "new three items" export "express" service, with container transportation reaching 29.8954 million tons, an increase of 14.27% compared to the same period in 2025. A "green channel" was opened for 11 large sea vessels transporting imported soybeans, implementing measures such as priority piloting, priority anchoring, and priority docking and undocking. The Yangtze River Piloting Center cumulatively led 5,935 vessels, with a cargo volume of 46.768 million tons.

　　During this year's Spring Festival travel rush, Yangtze River waterway tourism passenger transport showed a strong growth trend. Data shows that the cruise passenger volume on the Yangtze River mainline reached 1.1823 million, an increase of 18.01% compared to the same period in 2025, among which, the inter-provincial cruise passenger volume reached 56,300, an increase of 73.05% compared to the same period in 2025; the passenger volume of riverside cities such as Chongqing, Yichang, Wuhan, and Nanjing reached 1.1262 million, an increase of 16.26% compared to the same period in 2025.

　　According to reports, the Yangtze River channel department, through the "digital channel + on-site inspection" model, cumulatively conducted 77,000 kilometers of channel inspections and over 5,800 kilometers of channel surveys, dynamically optimized 634 channel markers. The digital channel system achieved all-weather monitoring of 5,762 channel markers, efficiently handled 19,600 channel marker alarms, and promptly restored abnormal channel markers, with the normal rate of channel markers reaching 99.97%, ensuring the smooth and orderly operation of the channel.

　　The Yangtze Three Gorges navigation management department strengthened the safety and smoothness of the Three Gorges hub, orderly carried out ship lock maintenance work, with the Three Gorges hub operating 1,408 lock (chamber) times during the Spring Festival travel rush, passing 4,020 vessels and 15.488 million tons of cargo; the Three Gorges hub river section received nearly 818,000 passengers, an increase of 75.3% compared to the same period in 2025.

　　In response to severe weather such as cold waves, strong winds, and fog during the Spring Festival travel rush, the Yangtze River Navigation Administration system deepened the meteorological and hydrological warning consultation mechanism, conducting more than two analysis consultations daily, and cumulatively issued hundreds of various warning messages. Through the combination of "calling, monitoring, and resolving," the goal of "zero accidents, zero deaths, zero delays" in waterway traffic on the Yangtze River mainline was achieved. (Reporters Wang Jianhong, Zhang Rui)