New energy-powered vessels travel along the Longgong River, a tributary of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal, off the Longgong Port of Jining, Shandong province. [Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn]

A section of the historic Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal in Shandong province is being upgraded with automated port systems and lower-emission vessels as local authorities push to modernize inland shipping.

At Longgong Port, automated rail cranes and unmanned trucks now handle most container movements, with operations monitored from a centralized control room. According to port officials, tasks that once required about 60 truck drivers across three shifts are now managed by three operators overseeing 16 autonomous vehicles using Beidou navigation and 5G connectivity.