"Please pay attention to adjusting the front and rear cables of the ship." "After the indicator light turns green, slowly exit the lock on the iron plate..." With the announcement of the exit precautions, after 16 consecutive days of suspension and maintenance during the Spring Festival holiday, the Yaojiang Navigation Lock at the core hub of the Hangzhou-Ningbo Canal officially resumed navigation on February 13.

The vessel is waiting for the gate to open.

According to Xu Ke, the manager of the Yaojiang Navigation Lock Equipment Department at the Ningbo Hangyong Navigation Lock Operation Service Co., Ltd., this maintenance project has comprehensively maintained key components such as the hydraulic opening and closing system, intelligent control center, and waterway infrastructure of the navigation lock, laying the foundation for safe navigation throughout the year.

The working staff is inspecting the facilities of the Yaojiang Navigation Lock.

Data shows that in 2024, the number of navigable ships on the Ningbo section of the Hangzhou-Ningbo Grand Canal reached 15,334, which is basically the same as that in 2023; the total freight volume reached 4.49 million tons, with a year-on-year increase of 3.3%; among them, the coal transportation volume reached 4.109 million tons, with a year-on-year increase of 12.0%, which is the first time that the annual coal transportation volume of the Ningbo section of the Hang-Ningbo Canal has exceeded 4 million tons since it was opened to navigation.

The vessel exits the gate.

To ensure the safety and order of the resumption of work and navigation of ships, the maritime department of Ningbo closely tracks the progress of navigation lock maintenance along the line, and jointly strengthens channel inspections with port and shipping departments to ensure that navigational aids and anchorage supporting facilities are in good condition. At the same time, they grasped the resumption of upstream and downstream ships in advance, and conducted safety inspections on ships in the jurisdiction, so as to ensure their safety.

Law enforcement officers are conducting field inspections of the ship's firefighting and rescue equipment.

"After resuming navigation, our maritime department will continue to provide severe weather warning information, reminding ship owners to take safety measures such as preventing cold waves, strong winds, freezing rain and snow, and strengthening dynamic investigation and safety inspections of ships coming to Ningbo," said Fan Yufeng, a law enforcement officer from the Yaojiang Coast Guard Enforcement Brigade of the Sanjiangkou Maritime Safety Administration in Ningbo. In addition, on-site patrol duty will also be strengthened to maintain the navigation order of ships passing through the gate.

The vessel is temporarily anchored near the Qingfeng Bridge.