In pics: From pier to powerhouse

A new collection of archival photographs is offering a striking visual record of how Ningbo-Zhoushan Port grew from a modest riverside pier into a global powerhouse — just as its annual container throughput surpasses 40 million TEUs for the first time.

To mark this historic breakthrough, Ningbo Daily invited residents and photographers to share their memories of the port, gathering images that span more than four decades.

These photographs trace the port's evolution — from the first pile driven into the Yongjiang River over 40 years ago to its emergence as a major gateway connecting China with global markets. They show not only the rise of terminals, cranes, and ships, but also the people whose work turned a small pier into one of the world's busiest container ports.

In 1978, a small riverside pier sat where today's Beilun Port would later take shape. [Photo by Li Zhedong for Ningbo Daily]

Dock builders were hard at work during the earliest phase of port construction in 1982. [Photo by Li Zhedong for Ningbo Daily]

Cargo throughput exceeded 10 million metric tons as operations expanded in 1985. [Photo by Li Zhedong for Ningbo Daily]

The second container terminal in Beilun operated with just two gantry cranes in 1994. [Photo by Li Zhedong for Ningbo Daily]

An automated conveyor system moved iron ore at Beilun Port in 1998. [Photo by Li Zhedong for Ningbo Daily]

Technicians tested newly installed quay cranes as annual cargo volume surpasses 100 million metric tons in 2001. [Photo by Qi Hao for Ningbo Daily]

Automated positioning technology enhanced efficiency at the Phase V container yard in 2018. [Photo by Li Zhedong for Ningbo Daily]

Ningbo-Zhoushan Port kept operations running around the clock in 2022. [Photo by Mao Yonghuai for Ningbo Daily]

Zhu Shijie, a port worker, took part in the Hangzhou Asian Games torch relay at the port. [Photo by Qi Hao for Ningbo Daily]