The container ship Xin Hong Xiang 26, the first ship operating on the new shipping route, arrives at Qinzhou Port [Photo by Lao Guangwei/China News Service]

A new shipping route connecting the Beibu Gulf and the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area was put into operation on Nov 20, with the container ship Xin Hong Xiang 26 arriving at Qinzhou Port that day.

The cargo loaded on the ship, which included building materials, condiments, and refractory plates, were later sent to inland stations like Tuanjie Village Station in Chongqing via sea-rail intermodal trains on the New International Land-Sea Trade Corridor.

The shipping route was jointly launched by Guangxi Beibu Gulf Port Group and Guangzhou Port Group, which set Qinzhou Port and Nansha Port in Guangzhou as its hub centers. It is expected to be a convenient and efficient marine logistics passage to further reduce regional logistics costs.

Ships will conduct this route once a week between Qinzhou and Nansha ports, mainly carrying cargo like sugar, kaolin, anhydrous sodium sulphate, building materials, condiments, as well as refractory boards.

The operation of the route will further increase the connectivity between Guangdong province and Guangxi, as well as enable inland areas to better integrate into the construction of the Beibu Gulf Economic Zone and the Greater Bay Area.