Recently, a 44-member delegation of journalists from People's Daily arrived in Ningbo for a five-day reporting tour. The tour includes field visits and in-depth exchanges aimed at exploring Ningbo's achievements in economic transformation, technological innovation and green development, while uncovering the driving forces behind its remarkable growth.
On August 18, the delegation kicked off its tour at the Chuanshan Port Area of Ningbo-Zhoushan Port to trace the development journey of this globally important port.
Leaving the port exhibition hall, journalists were greeted by a spectacular sight: neatly stacked colourful shipping containers, container trucks shuttling back and forth, and towering wind turbines slowly turning along the coastline, painting a vivid picture of a modern port.
According to the staff, Ningbo-Zhoushan Port operates one of the world's few 10-million-ton-class terminals. Its freight services reach more than 200 countries and 700 ports worldwide, and it has taken the lead in introducing remotely controlled quay cranes.
"I visited a container terminal in Greece back in June, and its scale was merely half of what I see here," said Li Anqi, a journalist with the international edition of People's Daily.
Song Fei from the newspaper's regional news desk visited Ningbo-Zhoushan Port for the first time. "I had read reports about its massive scale and throughput, yet seeing rows upon rows of containers and criss-crossing rail tracks in person is truly breathtaking," he commented. "Such a flagship port will surely fuel sound growth for Ningbo and even the broader Yangtze River Delta."
The delegation then visited Orient Cable, where they toured Asia's largest testing hall for ultra-high-voltage submarine cables. Measuring 120 metres long, 42 metres wide and 35 metres high, the fully shielded hall eliminates external interference during electrical testing.
Journalists were shown a range of test equipment, including a series-resonance test set for 160 kV/160 A AC partial-discharge withstand-voltage tests, DC test facilities capable of delivering up to ±2,600 kV, and test systems simulating lightning surges. Technicians explained that the hall can accommodate testing requirements arising from voltage-grade upgrades over the next five to ten years and support multiple test circuits simultaneously, playing a vital role in R&D and product quality assurance.
At the dock, journalists got a close-up look at umbilical cables in real-world operation. Stretching for dozens of kilometres and flanked by towering control towers, the facilities gave visitors a tangible sense of the capabilities of China's home-grown high-end equipment manufacturing.
In the afternoon, the delegation split into two groups. One travelled to Haishu District, visiting the Yongshuiqiao Science and Innovation Zone and OPC Yunchuang Lab to experience the dynamic innovation ecosystem and thriving digital economy. The other group headed for Xiangshan County to visit Asia's largest land-based recirculating aquaculture salmon farm, invested in by a Norwegian enterprise.
Andreas Thorud, General Manager of Nordic Aqua (Ningbo) Co. Ltd., walked journalists through the modern workshops and explained the entire production chain, from egg hatching to adult fish rearing. Video journalists documented tens of thousands of salmon swimming in recirculating water inside huge culture tanks.
By precisely regulating water temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen and other parameters, the facility achieves large-scale, standardised inland salmon farming. The salmon are raised without antibiotics and are known for their premium quality.
"It is incredible that salmon originally from Norway can be farmed so successfully here in Xiangshan," remarked Michael Oduro, an international journalist.
The group also received a briefing on the Zhejiang Offshore Wind Power Mother Port Project, a major provincial strategic initiative, covering its planning and construction progress.
Through this packed itinerary, journalists gained deeper insights into Ningbo's strengths in port-related industries, high-end manufacturing, green energy, modern agriculture and scientific innovation.
From its world-class smart port and pioneering land-based aquaculture to forward-looking offshore wind power planning, Ningbo is steadily advancing toward high-quality development powered by scientific and technological innovation.
Reporter: Yang Di