China's mainland coast is over 18,000 km long, and its rivers total 226,800 km in length.China has a vast sea area - the Bohai Sea, Yellow Sea and East China Sea to the east and the South China Sea to the south. The Bohai Sea is China's inner sea and the Yellow Sea, the East China Sea and the South China Sea connect with the Pacific Ocean.

Along China's long coastline lie Shanghai, Tianjin New Port, Guangzhou Huangpu, Yantai, Qingdao, Qinhuangdao, Dalian, Beihai, Hongkong and other ports.Today, there are more than twenty major coastal harbors in China. Shanghai Harbor ranks among the 10 largest in the world, with an annual capacity of over 100 million tons. Nanjing Harbor, with an annual capacity of 40 million tons, is China's largest river harbor.

Such excellent natural conditions provide convenience for developing inland river transport and ocean shipping. The major inland navigable rivers in China are the Yangtze, the Pearl, the Heilongjiang, the Huaihe, the Qiantang, the Minjiang and the Huangpu, not forgetting the Grand Canal between Beijing and Hangzhou. In 1999, navigable inland waterways in China totaled 110,300 km, the volume of cargo transportation was 2,126.3 billion tons/km, and the volume of passenger transportation was 10.73 billion persons/km.

Now there are more than 5,000 berths at some 70 major inland river ports. The Yangtze, the “golden waterway” of China's inland river transport, has considerable annual volume of both freight and passenger transport. Nanjing Harbor, the largest river harbor in China, has an annual capacity of more than 40 million tons. Ocean shipping in China is divided into two major navigation zones: the northern and the southern ones. The northern one has Shanghai and Dalian as the centers, and the southern one has Guangzhou as the center. Harbors (including inland river ports) built after 1978 have an annual capacity of 497.26 million tons. There are more than 20 major coastal harbors in China, with an annual capacity of 1.05 billion tons, and the passenger turnover of 64.01 million Shanghai Harbor ranks among the 10 largest trade harbors in the world, with an annual capacity of over 100 million tons. China has an ocean fleet with a capacity of 22 million tons of goods, sailing among

These sea ports are wide and deep, beautiful in environment and can all arrange passenger-bookings for pleasure boats for world travel or to go ashore to sightsee and tour.

International Sea Navigation Routes:

The luxury passenger and cargo ship "New Jianzhen", run by the Sino-Japanese International Ferry Co., sails between Shanghai and Kobe, Osaka and Yokohama in Japan, one voyage a week, taking around 45 hours for a single trip.

The vessel "Yanjing", run by the Tianjin- Kobe Snipping Co., runs between Tianjin and Kobe, Japan once a week. The passenger and cargo ship 'Daren", run by the Daren Shipping Co. in Dalian, navigates between Dalian Inchon in the Republic at Korea, two voyages a week and around 15 hours for each voyage.

The luxury passenger and cargo ship "Xinjinqiao" and "Xiangxuehai", run by the Weihaiwei East Navigation Co., link Weihai, Qingdao and Inchon three times a week. Each voyage taken 14 hours.

Domestic Sea Navigation Routes:

China's domestic sea navigation routes connect various port cities. Main navigation routes include: Shanghai- Dalian, Dalian- Tiangjin, Dalian- Yantai, Shanghai- Qingdao, Shanghai- Guangzhou, Beihai- Guangzhou, Shenzhen-Zhuhai Zhuhai-Hong Kong.

Inland River Navigation Routes:

China's mainland is crossed by many rivers with a total length of 226,800 km and a total of 136,000 km at inland river navigation routes.

Famous navigation routes include:

1. The 6,380-km-long Yangtze River, with a voyage at 660 km from Chongqing to Yichang and 626 km from Yichang to Wuhan. It passes the grand use magnificent Yangtze River Three Gorges from the Baidi (White Emperor Town, Fengjie County in the west to Nanjinguan Pass, Yichang, in the east, a total at 193 km. There are over 50 pleasure boats that sail en the routes.

2. Suzhou and Hangzhou are connected by the Grand Canal, a voyage totaling 146.6 km. Feast your eyes on the enthralling waterside village scenery, typical of the areas south of the Yangtze River as you sail along this route. In Nanjing, Wuxi or Yangzhou, dragon boats and pleasure boats provide for cruises on the Grand Canal - Yangtze River - Taihu Lake Tour. These cruises impart in full the flavor of Chinese poetry and painting. Tourists have the opportunity to enjoy good food while appreciating the surrounding scenery.

3. In Nanjing, Wuxi or Yangzhou, dragon boats or pleasure boats can be takes for the Grand Canal-Yangtze River-Taihu Lake Tour cruise which is full of the flavor of poetry and painting. Tourists can enjoy good food while apreciating the surrounding scenery.

4.There are long pleasure waterway from Guilin to Yangshuo along the Lijiang River, a voyage at 83 km at picturesque scenery and a galaxy of scenic and historic spots.