24/7, Yangshan Port Plays a New Year of Struggle Symphony

A busy and orderly Yangshan Phase III Terminal site. (Provided by interviewee)

Giant ships line up side by side, bridge cranes stretch their long arms, vehicles shuttle nonstop, and containers are neatly stacked like a steel forest… While the city is still immersed in the New Year holiday, the Yangshan Deep Water Port on the coast of the East China Sea presents a different scene of lively activity, playing the anthem of New Year’s efforts day and night.

“In the first year of the 14th Five-Year Plan,” every act of dedication here carries the expectations of global trade. Just past 2025, Shanghai Port’s container throughput exceeded 55.06 million TEUs, setting a new record and ranking first in the world for 16 consecutive years. Behind this new record, Yangshan Deep Water Port accounts for half of the total port volume.

The port remains open during the Spring Festival. Yangshan Port faces a major test with concentrated shipments and sustained growth in foreign trade. Staff across the port sacrifice family reunions, silently guarding each batch of cargo to ensure smooth international logistics and operations.

“Remote Retrieval” Becomes Reality

In January this year, Shanghai International Shipping Center marked a good start: monthly container throughput at Shanghai Port reached 5.063 million TEUs, a year-on-year increase of 1.3%, breaking the monthly record. Among them, Yangshan Phase IV, the largest automated terminal in the world, saw a 6.5% increase in container throughput compared to last year.

The constantly rising data stems from continuous upgrades to automated terminals, making them smarter and smarter. For example, “retrieving objects remotely” from dozens or even hundreds of kilometers away is becoming a reality.

At the Lingang International Shipping Service Center on the shores of Dishui Lake, the smart remote control center of Shanghai Port exudes high-tech and festive warmth. Huang Huazhan, the chief remote operator at Yangshan Phase IV, sits in front of a large screen, manipulating large port machinery located more than 40 kilometers away as if playing a claw machine, with smooth, precise movements.

“This Spring Festival, we are especially busy. According to the current schedule, we won’t get a break until the seventh day of the Lunar New Year. But with the Lingang Center operational, many colleagues can avoid the long commute across the East China Sea Bridge from over 60 kilometers away,” Huang Huazhan told reporters. The automated terminal operates at full speed 24 hours a day, with a daily throughput of about 24,000 TEUs, achieving a productivity rate 213% higher than traditional terminals. With F5G technology, the Lingang Center and on-site control room work together to ensure orderly container loading and unloading, greatly improving port efficiency.

Since arriving on the island in 2005 and lifting the first container at Yangshan Phase IV in 2017, Huang Huazhan has lost count of how many Spring Festivals he has spent on the island. Witnessing 20 years of Yangshan Port’s development, his work area has moved from a cramped cockpit 45 meters above ground to a warm, bright central control tower on the shore, and now he doesn’t even need to go onto the island.

“Smart transformation not only greatly improves terminal efficiency but also retains young talent,” Huang Huazhan said with emotion. Most of his team of over 130 members are under 30. During the Spring Festival, everyone voluntarily stays on duty without complaints. “Automated terminals free everyone from high-intensity physical labor and exposure to sun and rain, turning operators into managers of large equipment.”

Twenty Years of Dedication, More Time at Port Than at Home

As the “smart brain” rapidly develops, frontline operators, safety managers, and maintenance technicians remain the “solid backbone” of Yangshan Port. During the Spring Festival, they brave the cold wind, working day and night across various parts of the port, measuring responsibility with their steps and safeguarding safety with their hands.

Master Wushu from Wanshan, 42 years old, bears the marks of sea breeze on his face. Since arriving at Yangshan Port in 2006, he has spent 20 years guarding it, doing nearly every job on the dock—from tying and untying containers to locking and unlocking. As safety administrator for Yangshan Phase III, his 12-hour shifts involve patrolling the site and occasionally climbing onto nearly 20-meter-high container tie-down bridges. “During the Spring Festival, manpower is tight and tasks are heavy. One shift can oversee up to six large ships’ loading and unloading, sometimes even on ships,” he said, rushing to a work site and shouting to the tie-down workers from afar, “Slow down, safety first!”

Over 20 years, Master Wushu has made his home in nearby Nucheng Town, only returning to Chongqing to reunite with his family three times during Spring Festival. He spends more time at the port than at home. “It’s false to say I don’t miss home, but watching Yangshan Port develop day by day and seeing Shanghai become the world’s number one port, I feel very proud to be part of it,” he said. During the festival, the company delivers hot New Year’s Eve dinners and dumplings to the site. In the small crew quarters, everyone gathers around, eating simple meals but feeling the warmth of dedication.

“We are responsible for bridge crane equipment maintenance and technological innovation. When equipment fails, no matter day or night, we must respond immediately,” said Zhu Qing, the equipment maintenance supervisor for Yangshan Phase III, hurrying on the other side of the dock. Known affectionately as the “Bridge Crane Doctor,” he is familiar with every component. This Spring Festival, Zhu Qing remains on standby as always. “I remember last year on New Year’s Eve, I received a repair call, drove over, and worked on the equipment until 3 a.m., returning home when dawn was breaking,” he said with a smile. As a veteran who has guarded the port for nearly 20 years, he has long adopted the habit of not traveling far during Spring Festival and avoiding drinking at gatherings.

In 2025, Yangshan Phase III’s container throughput surpassed 10 million TEUs for the first time, becoming Shanghai’s second port to reach the million-TEU mark. Since the start of the new year, the entire port has been working hard, overcoming challenges such as cold waves, pre-holiday shipping rushes, and complex international trade markets to achieve new successes. Zhu Qing and Wushou’s New Year wishes are simple and sincere: “Contributing to a good start for the port in the new year makes all the hardship worth it,” and “I hope Yangshan Port gets better and better; when Yangshan Port is good, I am good.”

【Source: Wen Hui】