New ship cements ties between China and Japan
Shot by Jiang Xiaowei. Edited by Jiang Xiaowei. Reported by Cai Wenjun. Subtitles by Cai Wenjun.
The passenger ship Jian Zhen Hao
The luxury "ro-ro" (roll-on/roll-off) passenger ship Jian Zhen Hao, which will ply a route between China and Japan, departed on its maiden voyage from Shanghai on Saturday.
It marks a new start in Sino-Japan marine transportation and trade, economic and cultural exchanges.
It is the third generation of Jian Zhen ships plying the route since 1985. The previous two generations were both designed and built in Japan, while this vessel is the first developed, designed and built by Chinese.
Compared with the previous two ships, the new one is more intelligent, greener and quicker.
With a total length of 167.2 meters and a width of 25 meters, the ship can reach a speed of 21 knots. It can accommodate 192 persons and 338 TEUs of containers. It will run regularly between Shanghai, Osaka and Kobe each week.
In addition to carrying passengers, it also carries vehicles, containers, goods and reefer containers.
Captain Du Jianjun
"The ship has adopted a series of advanced energy-saving and green technologies," said captain Du Jianjun. "It is the nation's first self-developed luxury 'ro-ro' passenger ship meeting the criteria of Energy Efficiency Design Index phase 3 on carbon emission and it has also received G-ECO green ship recognition.
"The ship is equipped with intelligent and advanced technologies for more efficient management and safer operation."
The ship is named after Jian Zhen, a Chinese monk in the Tang Dynasty (618-907) who went to Japan to help propagate Buddhism. The name means the ship also carries the important mission of inheriting history and boosting exchanges, officials said.
Japanese style tatami sleeping quarters on board.
The first Jian Zhen Hao set sail in 1985, creating the first international maritime passenger and freight transport route between China and Japan. Since then, the route has served about 320,000 passengers and achieved high-quality goods traffic.
The new Jian Zhen Hao will start its first official freight transport to Japan next week. It will carry passengers from September.
The time and price is available at the public WeChat and website of China-Japan International Ferry Co Ltd.
An elegant suite.
