In early autumn, heading north along the Xiangjiang River, at the riverside of Jinggang Ancient Town in Changsha's Wangcheng District, within the workshop of Hunan Xiangchuan Heavy Industry Co., Ltd., a subsidiary of Changsha Guokong Group, sparks from welding flicker, machines roar, and under the blue sky and white clouds, the ships under construction stand tall like a "giant array", creating a magnificent sight.

Image: 55-meter super yacht from Hunan Xiangchuan Heavy Industry Co., Ltd.

The shipbuilding industry, which integrates over 50 industries including steel, machinery, and electronics, is known as the "crown of comprehensive industries". As the largest key shipbuilding base in Hunan Province, Xiangchuan Heavy Industry is leading the development trend of Hunan's shipbuilding industry with its outstanding technical strength and forward-looking strategic vision.

Characteristic Development, Striving to Rise

Xiangchuan Heavy Industry has a long history, tracing back to the establishment of Changsha Shipyard in 1945. Over the years, the company has made significant contributions to the shipbuilding industry in Hunan and even nationwide with its exquisite craftsmanship and excellent quality. Its manufactured barges, oil tankers, and transport ships are found in major ports along the coast and the Yangtze River, enjoying a great reputation and setting multiple "Hunan firsts".

However, with the changes of the times and market development, Changsha Shipyard also faces unprecedented challenges. In the face of competition from peers within the province and the solid position of large coastal shipyards, Xiangchuan Heavy Industry chose to develop in a differentiated manner, shifting its market positioning towards high-tech, high value-added high-speed passenger ships and high-end government vessels.

A change in thinking opens up new horizons. In 2014, Xiangchuan Heavy Industry collaborated with Zhejiang Dongji Shipping Co., Ltd. to build the "Wonder" 280-passenger wave-dissipating slender passenger ship, which shone brightly in the Zhoushan Islands tourism. Since then, the company has successively built several island passenger ships, quickly occupying the market high ground and rising from the low point, with "Changsha-made" standing out.

After ten years of honing, Xiangchuan Heavy Industry has built over 100 ships, with a total output value of nearly 2 billion yuan. Its products cover engineering ships such as maritime patrol boats, police command boats, fishery administration boats, marine monitoring boats, and fire-fighting boats, as well as high-speed passenger ships, luxury passenger ships, and vehicle-passenger ferries. Today, in the national high-speed passenger ship segment, Xiangchuan Heavy Industry's wave-dissipating slender passenger ships occupy 60% of the market share, especially in the Zhoushan Islands region, where the status of "Changsha-made" is solid and unshakeable. In 2017, the "Jinqing" inter-island transport vessel built by Xiangchuan Heavy Industry was delivered for use in Sansha City, marking the first time Hunan built a vessel for the South China Sea.

Today, Xiangchuan Heavy Industry is at the forefront of design, research and development, and construction of high-speed passenger ships, government vessels, and super yachts, becoming the largest key shipbuilding base in Hunan Province and one of the four provincial enterprise technology centers.

"Sailing" to Greece, "Boating" into Europe

On the morning of July 26, at the Xiangjiang water area of Jinggang Ancient Town in Changsha's Wangcheng District, a 55-meter "Changsha-made" super yacht was launched for trial sailing. This yacht is not only the first super yacht from Hunan to be exported to Europe but also an important symbol of Changsha's shipbuilding moving onto the international stage.

The yacht began construction on November 11, 2022, and after a year and a half of meticulous crafting, it measures 55 meters in length, weighs 1,081 tons, and costs nearly 100 million yuan. It is expected to be delivered to European customers by the end of December this year, setting sail for the Aegean Sea in Greece and making its debut at the World Yacht Show, showcasing its elegance to global customers.

As a high-tech vessel, the super yacht is regarded as the "pearl on the crown" in the industry. It not only needs to meet the industrial manufacturing standards of high-end vessels but also has high requirements for living comfort as a "five-star hotel" at sea. The yacht features a full steel structure with all-electric welding, measuring 55 meters in length, 10.5 meters in width, with a total tonnage of 1,081, a cruising speed of 13.5 knots, a range of 2,800 nautical miles, a crew capacity of 9, and passenger capacity of 22. It is equipped with dual engines and dual propellers, and the power system is designed according to drone cabin requirements, meeting the 24-hour unmanned duty requirement, providing high comfort and noise reduction.

The interior decoration also reflects quality, with the super yacht featuring aluminum alloy ceilings, spacious salon entertainment areas, open outdoor bars, retractable diving platforms, and other luxurious living and entertainment facilities.

Looking back two years ago, in February 2022, the president of Aikolon (China) Group, Panos, visited Xiangchuan Heavy Industry for inspection and highly praised the company for its welding, painting, materials, and equipment.

After in-depth investigation and thorough discussion, Aikolon ultimately decided to collaborate with Xiangchuan Heavy Industry to build this super yacht. This marks the first collaboration between Xiangchuan Heavy Industry and this shipowner to build a super yacht, creating a new history for Hunan in building international super yachts. It is a historic breakthrough for Hunan's transportation system and holds milestone significance for opening up international sales markets and enhancing product influence.

"Four Qualities" Leading, Layout for the Future

In the labor-intensive, technology-intensive, and capital-intensive shipbuilding industry, how can Xiangchuan Heavy Industry, as a leader in the industry within Hunan Province, maintain its good development momentum and continue to exert its strength?

Xiangchuan Heavy Industry implements the "Four Qualities" strategy, namely "consolidating civilian products, developing special products, smart manufacturing of fine products, and creating new products", consolidating and expanding the market share of civilian vessels, and exploring the business field of special vessels; in shipbuilding, it is committed to enhancing the comfort, speed, and safety of vessels, further opening up the coastal high-speed passenger ship and luxury passenger ship markets. In addition, it accelerates the research and development and mass production of intelligent unmanned ships, increases the layout and promotion of new energy vessels, strengthens and expands the steel structure business, and lays out the logistics industry, steadily moving towards the goal of building a comprehensive shipbuilding enterprise.

Qiu Jun, Secretary of the Party Committee and Executive Director of Xiangchuan Heavy Industry, stated that the company seizes the historical opportunity of structural adjustment and industrial upgrading in the shipbuilding industry, is market-oriented and technology-led, adheres to the main line of military-civilian integration development, and is committed to building a large enterprise for small and medium-sized vessels while striving for the goal of becoming a listed company. It aims to create a regional brand and enhance competitiveness in the fields of government vessels, high-speed vessels, and special vessel manufacturing, striving to become a backbone force in promoting the strong development of Hunan's shipbuilding industry and assisting in the construction of Hunan as a "strong manufacturing province".

In the future journey, Xiangchuan Heavy Industry will forge ahead through challenges, sailing towards the vast blue sea with a more open attitude.