Guangzhou Port at the National Games Opening Ceremony

On the evening of November 9, 2025, the opening ceremony of the 15th National Games kicked off amid widespread anticipation. As the lights for the first chapter of the cultural and sports performance, "Same Roots, Same Origin," illuminated the venue, the images of Guangzhou Port displayed on the large screen instantly ignited the audience—sails of the millennium-old port overlapped with cranes of the modern harbor in light and shadow, as the starting point of the Maritime Silk Road over 1,000 years ago and the hub of 181 international routes today completed a dialogue spanning time and space. This was not only a visual feast but also a vivid interpretation of China's maritime civilization history.

From Estuarine Bay to International Mega-Port: A 6,000-Year Geological Miracle

"White waves stretch boundlessly to the sea, vast flat sands extend in all directions"—the scene depicted by Tang Dynasty poet Bai Juyi is a true portrayal of Guangzhou Port at its birth. Archaeological research shows that over 6,000 years ago, the Pearl River Delta was an open bay submerged by seawater, and what is now downtown Guangzhou was then known as the "South China Sea." Sediment carried by the West River, North River, and East River deposited here, gradually forming an east-west trending estuarine bay, where Guangzhou Port emerged at the river mouth of this funnel-shaped bay.

The vicissitudes of time have shaped Guangzhou Port's unique genes. The Qing Dynasty Shunde County Chronicle recorded that "south of the Five Ridges, all is the sea," while today's Guangzhou Port has shifted south to the banks of the Shiziyang River. This north-to-south "coastal line migration" is rare in global port history. It is this special geological evolution that endows Guangzhou Port with both river port and seaport attributes—the low sediment content of the Pearl River ensures sufficient water depth for navigation, while the confluence of three rivers provides a vast economic hinterland.

Guangzhou's History in Wharves: From Guangta Wharf to Nansha Port Area

The saying "half of Guangzhou's history is written in its port" is perfectly embodied in Guangzhou Port's development trajectory. The Lanhu Wharf of the Qin and Han dynasties initiated the Maritime Silk Road, the "gathering of foreign merchants" at Tang Dynasty's Guangta Wharf witnessed the prosperity of the "Guangzhou Ocean Route to Foreign Lands" reaching the Persian Gulf, and the Thirteen Hongs Wharves of the Ming and Qing dynasties became the sole bridge for East-West trade during the "single port trade" era. These wharf clusters scattered along both banks of the Pearl River constituted the urban bloodline of ancient Guangzhou.

The leap of contemporary Guangzhou Port is even more astonishing. After 1949, Guangzhou Port integrated old inner harbor wharves and built 10,000-ton-class berths in Huangpu; the construction of Nansha Port Area, launched in 2000, created a miracle in world port construction—transforming from tidal flats and wastelands to the Xiaohu Island Petrochemical Wharf Cluster, Shazai Island Automobile Wharf Cluster, and Longxue Island Container Wharf Cluster in just 20 years, Nansha Port Area has become the leader of Guangzhou's "Southern Expansion" strategy. Today, the automated container terminals here operate around the clock, with red quay cranes working precisely like steel giants, handling over 40 standard containers per hour.

Timeless Ambassadors of Friendship: Ancient Ships That Communicated with the World

The "Göteborg," specially mentioned at the opening ceremony, is a vivid footnote to Guangzhou Port as a link for cultural exchange. Between 1739 and 1745, this Swedish merchant ship arrived in Guangzhou three times, carrying tea, porcelain, and silk that sparked a century-long "China fever" in Europe. The "Empress of China," which arrived in 1784 as the first American merchant ship to China after the United States gained independence, initiated the history of China-U.S. economic and trade exchanges.

These cross-ocean encounters not only changed the world's perception of China but also shaped Guangzhou's open and inclusive urban character. In 750 AD, Arab navigator Abu Abdallah sailed the "Sohar" to Guangzhou, bringing Islamic culture; the direct voyage of France's "Amphitrite" in 1698 kicked off Sino-French cultural exchanges. As the opening ceremony commentary stated: "The Maritime Silk Road has thrived for a millennium, spreading not only goods but also peace and friendship."

A New Era Answer Sheet of Prosperity Through Maritime Development: From 100-Million-Ton Port to Silk Road Hub

Today's Guangzhou Port is no longer a faded image in history textbooks. As the largest comprehensive main hub port in South China, its cargo throughput and container throughput have long ranked among the world's top, with domestic trade container throughput leading the country for many years and ro-ro automobile throughput ranking second nationwide. At Nansha Port Area, the world's largest 24,000 TEU container ships can berth easily, and the intelligent control system makes the entire terminal operate like a precision clock.

More inspiringly, Guangzhou Port has opened 181 foreign trade routes, connecting over 400 ports in more than 100 countries and regions around the world, and has become a key node of the "Belt and Road" Initiative. Data from 2024 shows that trade between Guangzhou Port and countries along the "Belt and Road" accounted for 42% of its total, truly fulfilling the era commitment of "the millennium Maritime Silk Road continues, and the millennium-old port prospers through maritime development."

As the fireworks of the National Games opening ceremony bloomed in the night sky, the images of Guangzhou Port remained etched in the minds of countless audiences. From the "Maritime Silk Road" of the Qin and Han dynasties to today's "global shipping hub," this port has witnessed China's magnificent journey from a land-based civilization to a maritime civilization. As a netizen commented on social media: "Guangzhou Port at the opening ceremony is not only the pride of Guangzhou but also a microcosm of China's pursuit of maritime strength."

On the new era journey of building a maritime power, Guangzhou Port is writing a new chapter of the legend "connecting rivers and seas, linking the world" with a brand-new posture. Every container loaded and unloaded, every giant ship entering and exiting here, is a vivid footnote to the community with a shared future for mankind.

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