Yunnan's dream of turning to the sea as an inland province is gradually becoming a reality. On November 17, 2022, the construction project of the Pearl River Shipping Funing Port in Yunnan Province started in Huainai Town, Funing County, Wenshan Zhuang and Miao Autonomous Prefecture. Funing Port is the first level port on the upper reaches of the Pearl River along the Youjiang Channel, with a total estimated investment of 3.251 billion yuan. The first stage of construction is expected to be completed by 2026. The construction of the project marks the countdown to the opening of a water transport channel in Yunnan Province that connects Guangdong, Guangxi and Hong Kong and Macao.

Funing Port is one of the 16 regional important ports in the Pearl River shipping plan of the Ministry of Transport, and also the two provincial water transport channels planned by Yunnan Province. The project is located on Nama River, a tributary of Youjiang River, and its tributary Jiacun River. It is about 70 kilometers away from Funing County, Yunnan Province, 66 kilometers away from the downstream Baise water conservancy complex navigation facilities, and 88 kilometers away from Baise City, Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region. The construction of this project is of great significance for Yunnan to better implement the construction of a "double cycle" in-depth new development pattern, integrate into the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, and actively serve the Belt and Road.

As the only port open to the Pearl River Delta region in eastern Yunnan Province, Funing Port has the advantages of large volume and low cost in launching from Funing to the Youjiang-Pearl River waterway, and its construction schedule has been concerned by the key industrial and mining enterprises in the country. After the completion of the project, 1,000-ton ships will be transported from here to the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and Guangxi Beibu Gulf Economic Zone. It will also enable the import of goods from South Asia, Southeast Asia and other countries to be transported to the hinterland of Southwest provinces through the Pearl River transport channel.

The person in charge of Wenshan Transportation Bureau introduced that the construction of Funing Port project is an important means to deeply implement the strategic deployment of the construction of a powerful transportation country and promote the high-quality development of national inland waterway shipping. Its functional positioning is committed to becoming an important node serving the Belt and Road and the new land-sea corridor in the West, the most direct port logistics hub connecting China and ASEAN countries, and a comprehensive port area connecting the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, Beibu Gulf Economic Zone and Pan-Pearl River Delta region for coordinated and high-quality economic development. To build a provincial port logistics hub serving the development of Yunnan's "public, iron and water" multimodal transport hub and harbor industrial park, and realize the integrated development of port, city, park and tourism. Editor/Xu Shengpeng