A vessel loaded with 11,208 metric tons of imported soybeans departs from Ningbo Zhoushan Port in East China's Zhejiang province for Wuhan, Central China's Hubei province on Aug 10. [Photo/cnnb.com.cn]

A vessel loaded with 11,208 metric tons of imported soybeans departed from Ningbo Zhoushan Port in East China's Zhejiang province for Wuhan, Central China's Hubei province on Aug 10.

The voyage marked the launch of a sea-river combined transportation pattern using ships which can navigate both on sea and rivers.

China currently only has five such ships, four of which can be found in Ningbo Zhoushan Port.

The launch of this transportation pattern comes as part of efforts by the port operator to tap markets along the Yangtze River.

In 2021, Ningbo Zhoushan Port handled 1.22 billion tons of cargo, up 4.4 percent year-on-year and topping the global rankings for the 13th straight year. The port's container throughput reached 31.08 million TEUs, up 8.2 percent year-on-year, and was ranked third in the world.

Ningbo and Zhoushan, both of which are home to the Ningbo-Zhoushan Port, were again ranked 10th among global shipping hubs in terms of comprehensive strength in 2021, according to the Xinhua-Baltic ISCD Index 2022 released in July.