Huanghua Comprehensive Port in Cangzhou, Heibei province opened to navigation on August 18, with eight 100,000-ton berths and wharfs in operation. The Port is expected to become the most convenient in Hebei province that connects western China and eastern coasts, and the “bridgehead” of the new Eurasia Continental Bridge as well.

The port will mainly be divided the Coal Zone, the Bulk Cargo Zone and the Comprehensive Zone, supplemented by the Bohai Sea Estuary Zone, according to the city blueprint. With as many as 209 berths on the construction list, the port will cover an area of 80 km2　　. Officials have mapped out a three-step plan for the development of the Port: 100,000-ton berths first, then the 150,000 tons, and finally the 200,000- and 250,000-ton berths. Aiming at hitting a potential throughput of 500 million tons, Huanghua Comprehensive Port is expected to become a multifunctional modern port and the nation’s transportation hub in Northern China.

Forty-three inland cities and 330 counties that cover a total area of 1 million km2 will benefit from the port. This involves a population of 140 million and a GDP of over 2 trillion RMB. With the special railway between Taiyuan and Zhongwei open to traffic, a transportation network will be set up, covering Hebei, Shanxi, Shaanxi, Ningxia, Gansu, Xinjiang, Qinghai and Tibet. The hinterland of the port is expected to expand further, forging a modern artery throughout China.

Located in the Bohai Rim Region, benefiting from its port traffic, and supported by the industries in the hinterland and the convenient transportation, Huanghua Port will be the major force that drives an economic boom in middle and southern Hebei province, and boosts the coastal economy of the area.