Driving along the river from Xiaoting to the south for a while, you can find a brand-new modern wharf in the front of you. That is Yunchi Port, built by Yichang Port Group Company with investment of more than 500 million rmb and put into operation in September this year.

　　On December 11, a bitterly cold day, the writer saw workers being in full swing in Yunchi wharf of Xiaoting District to unload containers one by one through loading bridge from ship, more than 2000 of which were regularly placed on the platform and the goods yard. Put into operation only more than two month, the Yunchi Port as a new channel for trade foreign of Yichang, covering 80 hectares and with four berths of 3000 tons, becomes a water transportation port of Yichang. The second project of the Yunchi Port is under construction, which will introduce a railway special line——from Zijing Mountain to Yunchi Port after completion. From then on Yunchi Port will become a transportation junction port covering waterway, railway and land-way.

　　Standing under a brand-new portal crane, the writer saw lifting appliance, dozens of meters high, gripping containers freely back and forth over cantilever racks, and five or six ships closed to the port waiting to be unloaded. Du Min, vice-general manager of Yichang Port Group Container Company, told the writer that these companies in Xiaoting can take advantage of Yunchi Port to do their foreign trade business. Some companies, such as Hubei Yihua Co., Ltd and Xingfa Chemicals Group Co., Ltd, etc., export chemical products from here to Europe, America and Japan, etc. Meanwhile cost of raw materials can be dramatically reduced by water way.

　　On terminal operation platform that reaches a length of 420 meters, Du Min introduced those ships waiting for being unloaded that containers’ function has been preliminarily realized now——abundant supply of goods, including chemical products, food and medicine, construction materials, etc., and 7000 tons of throughput per month. Those professional and advanced modern facilities, including container loading bridge and portal crane, lay a good foundation for container service. The port is in the structure of piles with beams and slabs which makes ships come and go conveniently, not affected by water level. Meanwhile, it can be used by many unites, such as port, customs, entry-exit inspection and quarantine bureau and relevant import and export agencies, etc. to co-work and offer one-stop service for companies.