How Magical Is China's Waterborne Public Transport?

Before writing this article, I interviewed some friends around me. Their so-called experiences of taking boats were nothing more than riding cross-river ferries in places like Shanghai or Wuhan, or briefly "sailing the sea" when visiting Gulangyu or Putuoshan... In short, they had all been on boats, but most experiences were mundane and hardly worth mentioning.

However, if you posed this question to the older generation, the weight of their answers would be entirely different: Some had taken night canal boats northbound from Yuhang, "sleeping all the way to Suzhou"; others had ridden the currents from Chongqing to Wuhan, witnessing the sky-obscuring "original" Three Gorges. As for my great-uncle, he once traveled on an old-fashioned paddle-wheel steamer—locally called a "rear-kicker"—from Hegang upstream along the Sino-Russian border river to Heihe. On one bank of the Heilongjiang River were the forests and gorges of the Lesser Khingan Mountains, while on the other, Russians waved greetings. Recounting that journey, his eyes still sparkle with excitement, and I couldn’t help but envy him.

Night ferry on the Yangtze.

Since ancient times, China has been a superpower in water transport, with countless golden waterways ideal for sailing. Many inland rivers, lakes, and straits have been bustling shipping routes for millennia. Yet, over the past three decades, the explosive growth of China's railway and highway infrastructure has led to the abrupt decline of passenger ships, which crawl at speeds of around 20 km/h. Efficiency has swallowed romance, and the wonder of drifting across rivers, lakes, and seas—"using boats as carriages and oars as horses"—has faded from our generation.

However, first, while passenger ships have largely vanished, the waterways themselves have not been abandoned. Water freight still holds an unmatched cost advantage, and many bulk commodities continue to drift slowly along these classic routes, silently nourishing this vast nation with affordable sustenance.

Zhanjiang Xuwen Port, where trains and ships seamlessly connect.

On the other hand, even today, China remains a major player in waterborne passenger transport. Beyond the numerous ferries shuttling between waterfront towns and various cruise ships, some medium- and long-distance passenger routes still hold a place in regional transportation due to unique geographical constraints.

Still-active waterborne passenger routes.

Even now, if you’re traveling from Weihai or Yantai on the Shandong Peninsula to Dalian—or even Shenyang or Dandong—taking a ferry across the sea remains the most economical and practical choice. If you’re unsure why, a glance at the map will make it clear.

Take Yantai to Dalian as an example: By land, you’d have to cross Shanhaiguan and loop around the entire Bohai Bay, covering 1,400 km—even speeding nonstop on highways, it would take at least two days. But by ship across the strait, the distance is just 89 nautical miles (a little over 100 km). A fast ferry takes just over four hours, while a standard passenger ferry takes about seven. Cars and motorcycles can board, and after a night’s sleep, you’ve traveled from Penglai beyond the Great Wall—how delightful is that?

Two different ways to travel from Yantai to Dalian.

In fact, since ancient times, people have frequently traveled between Yantai and Dalian by sea. For instance, during the mass migration of Shandong natives—especially farmers from Dengzhou and Laizhou—to Manchuria, most took this sea route (so the ancestors of northeasterners were actually seafarers). The dialect spoken in Dalian isn’t classified as Northeastern Mandarin but as "Jiaoliao Mandarin," and their culinary customs closely resemble those of eastern Shandong. This convenient route stitches together a "Jiaoliao cultural zone" spanning mountains and seas, creating a cultural "closed loop" around the vast Bohai Bay.

Photo/VCG

Today, passenger ships on the Jiaoliao route are already quite comfortable and well-equipped. You can opt for a relatively luxurious cruise ship, reaching your destination in just four hours. Most, however, choose the standard eight-hour ferry. With no phone signal mid-journey, daytime passengers gather on deck to admire the sea and feed seagulls, while the essence of the overnight ferry lies in the sunrise—watching the sun leap from the vast sea as fishing boats and islands gradually emerge, a rare spectacle for land-dwellers.

The Bohai ferry "Zhonghua Fuxing" docked at port.

This shortcut-by-water principle also applies to the Pearl River Delta today. For example, traveling from Shenzhen to Hengqin Port in Zhuhai by car requires detouring via Humen Bridge in Dongguan or the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge (the latter involving multiple border checks), which is lengthy and cumbersome. By ferry, the trip takes just 75 minutes, with refreshing sea breezes all the way—a relaxed and stylish journey. Taking this ferry for an authentic Portuguese meal before returning in high spirits is a favorite weekend pastime for Shenzhen office workers.

Along China’s coastline, over 7,600 islands are scattered. For the vast majority without cross-sea bridges, ships remain the primary mode of transport, whether for travel to the mainland or between islands.

Before the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge was built, travel between Hong Kong and Macau relied mainly on ferries.

For instance, the route between Hainan Island and the Leizhou Peninsula functions like Hainan’s umbilical cord, handling the island’s flow of people and goods. The most fascinating aspect is the train-on-ship service: If you book a sleeper ticket from Harbin to Sanya, your train will be loaded onto a ship at the mainland’s edge to cross the strait. However, since the train cars lose power onboard—no air conditioning or toilets—this leg of the journey isn’t as romantic as it sounds.

Unlike the busy, no-nonsense routes to large islands, the ferries and docks of smaller islands—home to just a hundred or so households—often retain warm, intimate touches of island life. Small-island ferries run infrequently, perhaps once or twice a day, with some schedules dictated by tides, varying daily. Islanders’ lives thus unfold at the leisurely pace set by these boats.

The staff working on the island ferries and docks have long been familiar with the islanders. At departure time, people shout to entrust goods or greet friends. Often, it’s not until the boat is about to leave that young islanders hurriedly board with their cargo. The islanders chat in the cabins, while tourists heading for island vacations excitedly take photos on the deck. The ferry itself becomes the liveliest public space on the island.

China’s long-distance river passenger ships emerged in the late 19th century and declined in the 1990s. Thus, the era of people sleeping to the sound of river waves and rumbling engines lasted barely a century.

But note that rivers once served by long-distance passenger ships had long been busy waterways even before steamships were invented. However, during that century of steamships, the convenience of these routes was further enhanced. This made long-distance passenger ships extremely popular back then, with tickets often hard to come by during holidays.

The busiest and most important long-distance river route in China is undoubtedly the Yangtze River. If you’ve been to Chongqing, you’d know its largest dock is called Chaotianmen—"Facing Heaven"—referring to its role in welcoming imperial envoys carrying decrees from Hangzhou, the Southern Song capital, upstream. This shows how the river’s vast waters erased the challenges of thousands of kilometers of rugged terrain centuries ago.

Chaotianmen Dock, one of Chongqing’s most surreal landmarks.

Photo by Xu Can, Image via Tuchong Creative.

Beyond its main course, the Yangtze has many navigable tributaries. For instance, the Wu River, which joins the Yangtze at Fuling, Chongqing, connects mountainous Guizhou to the artery of Central Plains civilization. Or the Xiang River and Hunan’s "Four Rivers," which traverse southern Chu lands upstream of Dongting Lake, shaping Hunan’s culture... In short, the Yangtze’s waterways, like fishbones, linked vast populations along its main and tributary routes, forming China’s largest pre-high-speed-rail transportation network.

Back then, a single ticket could take you from Shanghai all the way to Chongqing or even Yibin. Along the route, dozens of river cities sparkled like pearls, forming China’s most robust backbone. Traveling upstream, the soft Wu dialect gradually gave way to bold southwestern Mandarin, each dock more "riverside" than the last. A two-week journey would reveal landscapes and cultural relics worthy of a Tang poetry anthology. Sadly, such an affordable end-to-end Yangtze trip is no longer possible today.

Ordinary routes along the middle and lower Yangtze ceased entirely by the late 20th century. Due to Sichuan’s rugged terrain and the Three Gorges’ tourism appeal, passenger ships still operate between Yichang’s Zigui Port and Chongqing, ranging from basic ferries to luxury cruisers. Motorcycle taxi drivers, as if frozen in Jia Zhangke’s films, still wait leisurely at docks for disembarking passengers. This stretch is nearly the last of the Yangtze’s long-distance passenger service.

Outside the Yangtze basin, China’s busiest waterway network is the Pearl River system. The Xi River, binding Guangdong and Guangxi, profoundly shaped Cantonese life and culture—even the term "dating" (拍拖) originates from its shipping jargon. In the 1980s, the Xi River had China’s most advanced passenger water transport, with Wuzhou even offering high-speed catamarans to Hong Kong at 70 km/h, rivaling trains. To this day, many in Wuzhou and Zhaoqing fondly recall the golden age of riverine shopping trips to Guangzhou and Hong Kong.

River journeys were full of charm. Many docks hosted bustling markets where farmers from nearby counties sold their harvests before sailing home. On the Songhua River, the Harbin-Jiamusi route spawned Xindian Town’s roast chicken industry—vendors once paddled small boats, handing chickens to passengers in exchange for money dropped into nets. Now, with passenger ships gone, only three roast chicken shops remain in Xindian.

The Suzhou-Hangzhou water route encapsulates the essence of Jiangnan.

Map by Liu Yunshuo.

Beyond natural waterways, China has a unique artificial route: the Grand Canal. To many, it seems confined to history books, yet it still handles significant freight and once hosted bustling passenger routes, most notably the Suzhou-Hangzhou line. The white walls, black tiles, and cobbled lanes of Jiangnan were condensed into this leisurely voyage. At its peak, over 30 daily roundtrips connected the two cities, fostering close ties—many Suzhou and Hangzhou natives over 40 recall taking these boats for visits.

Photo by Li Qiong.

The Past, Present, and Future of River Dwellers.

Ultimately, ocean liners serve only a few, budget long-distance passenger ships have nearly vanished, and cruises are priced beyond most. Today, China’s most common waterborne transport is the humble ferry.

The classic Chongqing-Fuling route in the 1990s.

Where there are rivers, there are ferries—smaller settlements lack resources or need for bridges. Even on the Yangtze, a bridge’s lengthy approaches often make ferries more practical. Short of paving the entire river, ferries will endure as a riverside way of life.

Wuhan’s Yangtze ferries are never short of passengers.

The most important type of ferry is called the "vehicle ferry." As the name suggests, both large trucks and small cars can drive onto this ferry to cross the river. These ferries are often found in towns where bridges have yet to be built but where there is still significant traffic demand. Departures are usually very frequent, with the boat following a smooth route validated over centuries. Vehicles park in the middle of the deck, while drivers step out and lean against the railings with pedestrians,发呆, enjoying the breeze. People gather briefly in this peculiar way, and after about ten minutes, the ferry docks. Everyone returns to their vehicles, and cars, pedestrians, and electric bikes disperse, merging back into their respective lives.

Above: An electric bike rider on a Wuhan ferry. Photo / Wanshetang.

Below: Passengers queueing to board a Yangtze River ferry in Chongqing. Photo / VCG.

In major river cities, ferries remain an essential way of life. Take Wuhan, for example—despite the many bridges, tunnels, and even subways crossing the Yangtze, ferry routes remain bustling, showing no signs of decline. Especially for cyclists and e-bike riders, taking a ferry saves considerable detours and battery power. Though not very common, in cities like Shanghai and Wuhan, you might occasionally encounter the amusing scenario of "your food delivery is on a boat."

In cities often hailed as the "Venice of the East," there are also relatively long water transit routes within urban areas. For instance, Liuzhou operates water buses with a fare of just two yuan, offering great convenience. Suzhou boasts well-developed inland river cruise routes, where elegant boats wind through gardens and neighborhoods, allowing passengers to witness how this ancient city, dating back to the Spring and Autumn period, harmoniously integrates water into urban life. Beijing even has a royal-style boat route from the Zoo directly to the Summer Palace. Following the footsteps of Empress Dowager Cixi, you glide through the bustling city, passing by historic sites she once saw and skyscrapers she never could. For Beijing, this charming water route is a rare gem.

Beijing possesses an extensive and intricate water system.

Today, many of these waterways have become spaces for leisure and recreation.

Image Editor | Naifu.

Cover Photo | Wanshetang.

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