長(zhǎng)江航運(yùn)變遷

本刊記者 徐 華

長(zhǎng)江航運(yùn)變遷

本刊記者 徐 華

“君住長(zhǎng)江頭，我住長(zhǎng)江尾，日日思君不見君，共飲長(zhǎng)江水。”自古以來，長(zhǎng)江就承載了古人的萬千情思，從巫山風(fēng)雨到秦淮燈影，大江流經(jīng)之處，無不搖曳著行船者的漂泊與期盼。伴隨著世事變遷，千年長(zhǎng)江航運(yùn)經(jīng)歷著滄桑巨變。

流淌千年的繁榮

7000年前的新石器時(shí)期，獨(dú)木舟開啟了長(zhǎng)江的原始航程，由此長(zhǎng)江航運(yùn)的起源初定，至東漢木帆船廣泛航行于長(zhǎng)江之中。到了唐代，長(zhǎng)江成為全國通航里程最長(zhǎng)、貨運(yùn)量最大的河流，“蜀麻吳鹽自古通，萬斛之舟行若風(fēng)”，生動(dòng)地再現(xiàn)了當(dāng)時(shí)長(zhǎng)江水運(yùn)的興盛景象。而享受長(zhǎng)江水運(yùn)之利的人們，則有“朝辭白帝彩云間，千里江陵一日還”，“逆風(fēng)上水萬斛重，齊聲騰踏千船歌”的愉悅。在其他交通運(yùn)輸方式尚未形成和極其落后的社會(huì)時(shí)期，橫貫中華大地，暢達(dá)大江南北的長(zhǎng)江航運(yùn)，以其舟輯之利服務(wù)于當(dāng)時(shí)的軍事、政治和經(jīng)濟(jì)，船舶成為人們社會(huì)生活中不可缺少的重要交通工具。

近代長(zhǎng)江航運(yùn)，在壓迫下求生存，在抗?fàn)幹星蟀l(fā)展，長(zhǎng)江民族航運(yùn)業(yè)自強(qiáng)不息，在與列強(qiáng)資本的斗爭(zhēng)中奮起。靠一艘小火輪起家的民生公司，發(fā)展成為川江實(shí)力最雄厚的民營航運(yùn)企業(yè)，也是近代中國規(guī)模最大的民族資本航運(yùn)實(shí)體。1873年，輪船招商局在上海成立，作為中國第一個(gè)官督商辦企業(yè)，它的問世，標(biāo)志著中國開始了從農(nóng)業(yè)社會(huì)向工商業(yè)社會(huì)的演進(jìn)。1873年7月，中國商輪首次航行在中國內(nèi)河，招商局旗下的“永寧”號(hào)從上海開航，溯江而上，至鎮(zhèn)江、九江、漢口，中國近代內(nèi)河航運(yùn)業(yè)第一次融入國際經(jīng)濟(jì)大循環(huán)。招商局和民生公司的崛起，成為了近代長(zhǎng)江航運(yùn)業(yè)新興和發(fā)展的杰出代表。

新中國成立后，長(zhǎng)江干線航道滿目瘡痍，令人扼腕痛惜，運(yùn)輸船舶技術(shù)狀況普遍較差，且大都是老舊、木質(zhì)小船，港口設(shè)施極端落后，航道完全處于天然狀態(tài)，上游礁石林立，中下游淺灘密布，助航設(shè)施簡(jiǎn)陋，航道通過能力低下，大部分河段不能夜航，航運(yùn)安全和航運(yùn)效益都無法得到保障。然而，在沿江鐵路、公路極其落后的情況下，為鞏固新生的人民政權(quán)，支援全國解放和抗美援朝戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)，保障人民生活安寧，長(zhǎng)江航運(yùn)再一次發(fā)揮了其無可替代的功能。建設(shè)碼頭，修造船舶，清除沉船水雷，爆破暗礁，治理航道，改進(jìn)運(yùn)輸生產(chǎn)組織，使飽受戰(zhàn)爭(zhēng)創(chuàng)傷的長(zhǎng)江航運(yùn)迅速恢復(fù)生產(chǎn)，運(yùn)輸能力不斷提高，發(fā)揮了交通大動(dòng)脈的作用，立下了不可磨滅的功勛。長(zhǎng)江航運(yùn)從此走上了一條由天然河流到黃金水道的發(fā)展道路。

默默無聞的挖掘

新中國成立伊始，長(zhǎng)江航運(yùn)成為當(dāng)時(shí)的主要運(yùn)輸通道。剛獲新生的長(zhǎng)江航運(yùn)，集運(yùn)數(shù)百萬噸糧食及軍用物資，組織公、私營輪船和民船，支援中國人民解放軍繼續(xù)南下，完成了解放大西南、海南以及抗美援朝的支前運(yùn)輸任務(wù)。國民經(jīng)濟(jì)三年恢復(fù)時(shí)期，長(zhǎng)江客貨運(yùn)輸又在川糧東運(yùn)和支援成渝鐵路建設(shè)，活躍城市經(jīng)濟(jì)，平抑物價(jià)，促進(jìn)國民經(jīng)濟(jì)恢復(fù)和發(fā)展中起到了重要作用。特別是1952年，長(zhǎng)江航運(yùn)提前一個(gè)月完成荊江分洪工程所需的幾十萬噸的器材物資運(yùn)輸，被荊江分洪指揮部特予通令表揚(yáng)，譽(yù)為新中國航運(yùn)事業(yè)上的創(chuàng)舉。從1952年開始的長(zhǎng)江干線一列式拖駁運(yùn)輸，到1978年推行的分節(jié)駁頂推運(yùn)輸，到80年代初不斷發(fā)展的集裝箱運(yùn)輸，長(zhǎng)江航運(yùn)在曲折中前進(jìn)。然而，此時(shí)的航道整治處于起步階段，長(zhǎng)江航運(yùn)依然要靠天吃飯。

1953年初，第一個(gè)炸礁工程在觀音灘、蠶背梁開工，打響了川江航道整治的第一炮；緊接著戴家洲直港工程啟動(dòng)，開啟了長(zhǎng)江中下游航道整治的歷史。從上世紀(jì)50年代起，我國開始對(duì)長(zhǎng)江干線航道分階段、有步驟地整治建設(shè)。到“九五”期前，國家重點(diǎn)對(duì)上游航道進(jìn)行了系統(tǒng)治理，共整治灘險(xiǎn)123處，零星清障115處，航道通過能力提高8倍以上，千里川江逐步擺脫天然狀態(tài)。

1963年至1965年，在國家進(jìn)行經(jīng)濟(jì)體制改革、試辦托拉斯的過程中，長(zhǎng)江航運(yùn)是全國試辦托拉斯的12個(gè)試點(diǎn)單位之一。長(zhǎng)江干線運(yùn)輸實(shí)行托拉斯后，一段時(shí)間取得過較好的經(jīng)濟(jì)效益。但是，統(tǒng)得過死也在一定程度上挫傷了地方航運(yùn)的積極性，限制了地方航運(yùn)企業(yè)發(fā)展。據(jù)統(tǒng)計(jì)，從20世紀(jì)60年代初期到1983年，全國內(nèi)河通航里程縮短6萬多公里，各種運(yùn)輸方式中內(nèi)河比重從14%下降到7%以下，四川、湖南、湖北、江西、安徽五省通航里程比1965年減少了三分之一，水運(yùn)比重下降了一半。

上世紀(jì)90年代，其他運(yùn)輸方式快速發(fā)展，對(duì)內(nèi)河發(fā)展重視不夠，內(nèi)河航道基礎(chǔ)落后，投入不足。在其它運(yùn)輸方式的分流擠壓下，長(zhǎng)江航運(yùn)面臨著巨大的考驗(yàn)。長(zhǎng)江客貨運(yùn)輸在激烈競(jìng)爭(zhēng)、規(guī)范管理中優(yōu)勝劣汰，貨運(yùn)從長(zhǎng)江走向海洋，貨運(yùn)量大幅上升，客運(yùn)逐步退出長(zhǎng)江。

1976年，長(zhǎng)江開始運(yùn)輸5噸的內(nèi)貿(mào)箱，共4條航線，大多采用甲板駁運(yùn)輸或客班輪捎帶運(yùn)輸，長(zhǎng)江集裝箱運(yùn)輸雛形初現(xiàn)。1984年，長(zhǎng)江下游開始發(fā)展國際集裝箱運(yùn)輸，主要標(biāo)志為開辟了南京—香港航線。上世紀(jì)90年代，長(zhǎng)江集裝箱運(yùn)輸以重點(diǎn)開展境外中轉(zhuǎn)到重點(diǎn)為上海港提供支線服務(wù)為標(biāo)志，集裝箱運(yùn)量增長(zhǎng)相對(duì)緩慢。

迎來黃金機(jī)遇

“九五”期以來，以實(shí)施界牌水道治理工程為標(biāo)志，拉開了長(zhǎng)江航道系統(tǒng)治理的序幕。特別是長(zhǎng)江下游隨著2005年長(zhǎng)江口深水航道治理二期工程的完工，繼南京至瀏河口航路改革、航道設(shè)施建設(shè)工程竣工，使10米深水航道延伸到南京，5萬噸級(jí)海輪可乘潮直達(dá)南京，揭開了以“數(shù)字化”為特征的航道現(xiàn)代化建設(shè)新篇章。

航道的升級(jí)，給航運(yùn)發(fā)展帶來了機(jī)遇。長(zhǎng)江集裝箱運(yùn)輸高速增長(zhǎng)，外貿(mào)集裝箱運(yùn)輸格局基本形成。2008年末，長(zhǎng)江水系?。ㄊ校┕矒碛屑b箱運(yùn)輸船舶916艘，集裝箱船標(biāo)準(zhǔn)箱位944377TEU。其中，內(nèi)河集裝箱運(yùn)輸船舶510艘，集裝箱船標(biāo)準(zhǔn)箱位52186TEU，平均載箱量102.3TEU/艘。

隨著長(zhǎng)江航道的逐漸改善，汽車運(yùn)輸業(yè)在長(zhǎng)江應(yīng)運(yùn)而生。1990年以后，由于沿江汽車制造工業(yè)的迅速發(fā)展，長(zhǎng)江干線水運(yùn)開始有了商品汽車滾裝船運(yùn)輸。2000年初，川江上一位個(gè)體運(yùn)輸戶將一艘普通貨船改造成載貨汽車滾裝船，開辟了川江段“萬州—宜昌”的跨省載貨汽車滾裝船運(yùn)輸?shù)南群?。后來由于載貨汽車滾裝船運(yùn)輸市場(chǎng)需求的發(fā)展，又開辟了“重慶—宜昌”和“涪陵—宜昌”兩條航線，目前共有3條運(yùn)輸航線。截至2008年末，重慶市和湖北省共有川江載貨汽車滾裝運(yùn)輸企業(yè)19家，船舶115艘，5993臺(tái)載貨車位，平均車位52.1車位/艘。2003年至2008年間平均載貨車位的年均增長(zhǎng)率為14.8%，載貨汽車滾裝運(yùn)輸船舶呈大型化發(fā)展趨勢(shì)。這些新興的運(yùn)輸方式均給長(zhǎng)江貨運(yùn)市場(chǎng)帶來了充足貨源和蓬勃的生機(jī)。

1994年以后，長(zhǎng)江干線水運(yùn)有了液化天然氣（LNG）船運(yùn)輸，2008年底長(zhǎng)江干線有液化氣船12艘，載氣量15284m3，2008年長(zhǎng)江干線港口完成液化、天然氣吞吐量122.7萬噸。目前從事長(zhǎng)江干線液化氣運(yùn)輸船舶的平均船齡在17年以下。新世紀(jì)以來，長(zhǎng)江省際內(nèi)河散裝化學(xué)品運(yùn)輸發(fā)展迅猛。2008年末，經(jīng)營長(zhǎng)江水系省際散裝化學(xué)品運(yùn)輸船舶2442艘，98.1萬凈載重噸，平均船齡為8年。

2010年，長(zhǎng)江干線跨省貨運(yùn)量達(dá)15.02億噸，干線港口吞吐量超過11億噸。在沿江經(jīng)濟(jì)發(fā)展中，80%以上的煤炭、石油、鋼鐵礦石、汽車等物資都是通過長(zhǎng)江航運(yùn)提供運(yùn)輸保障，長(zhǎng)江已經(jīng)成為世界上運(yùn)量最大、運(yùn)輸最繁忙的河流，煥發(fā)出黃金水道的勃勃英姿。

“I live upstream and you/Downstream by River Blue. /Day after day of you I think, /But you are not in view, /Although as one we drink /The Water clear of River Blue.”—Li Zhiyi (Song Dynasty)

Since ancient times, Yangtze River has been saturated with lingering sentiment of ancient literati, and imbued with nostalgia and expectations of drifting boatmen. Accompanied by historical vicissitudes,shipping on Yangtze River has also experienced drastic changes.

Flourishing after several thousand years’accumulation

Around 7,000 years ago, the Neolithic age saw the canoe carve out the original navigation route along Yangtze River. Thus, the origin of shipping on Yangtze River was initially established, but the wooden sail boats were not widely used on Yangtze River until Eastern Han Dynasty.During Tang Dynasty, Yangtze River was China’s longest river in terms of route mileage and largest in terms of cargo volume.In modern times, shipping on Yangtze River rose to prominence in the process of China’s fighting against foreign imperialist powers. Min Sheng Company, which started its business by operating a small steamer,became the most powerful private enterprise engaged in shipping on Yangtze River, and the largest-scale private capital shipping entity in modern times of China. In 1873,Merchants Steamship Navigation Company, China’s fi rst enterprise invested by merchants and supervised by the government, was founded in Shanghai, marking China’s moving from agricultural to industrial and commerce society. The rise of Merchants Steamship Navigation Company and Min Sheng Company became the prominent representation of the emerging Yangtze River shipping industry in modern times.

Forging ahead without fanfare

The shipping on Yangtze River became the main transportation channel in early days of New China. The renascent shipping on Yangtze River transported millions of tons of grains and military supplies, organized state-owned and private ships to support People’s Liberation Army of China to move south, accomplishing transport tasks for liberation of South West and Hainan as well as the Korean War. However, the navigation waterway dredging at that time was at the start-up stage, and shipping on Yangtze River still had to live at the mercy of the weather.

At the beginning of 1953, the fi rst reef blasting project was launched in Guan Yin Beach and Can Bei Liang, starting up the dredging of Yangtze River navigation waterways.The launch of Daijiazhou Zhigang dredging project opened up the history of navigation waterway dredging in the middle and lower reaches of Yangtze River. Since the 1950s, China began to dredge and build up navigation waterways of Yangtze River Trunk Line step by step.Before the 9thFive-year Plan period, Chinese government attached greater importance to the systematic dredging of the navigation waterways of the upper reaches of Yangtze River and eliminated 123 shoals or rapids, as well as 115 sporadic impediments. Consequently, the navigation route capacity increased by 8 times, and the upper Yangtze River gradually emerged from its primitive conditions.

The 1990s witnessed rapid development of other transport modes, but inland river development did not receive an adequate attention, resulting in backward bedrock of inland river waterways and shortage of investment.Squeezed by other modes of transport, the shipping on Yangtze River faced huge test.

Meeting the golden opportunity

Since the Ninth Five-year Plan period, the Jiepai Waterway Dredging Project opened the prologue to systematic dredging of Yangtze River navigation waterways. Especially,the completion of the phase III dredging engineering of deep-water navigation route at the Yangtze River Estuary in 2005 added a new chapter to modern navigation waterway construction characterized by “digitalization”.

Upgrading of the navigation route provided an opportunity for shipping development. The surge of container volume carried through Yangtze River promoted the initial shaping of container transport pattern for foreign trade. By the end of 2008, there had been 916 container ships owned by the provinces or cities along Yangtze River totaling 944,377 TEU, 500 of which operated on inland waterways, totaling 52,186 TEU with an average of 102.3 TEU per ship.

In 2010, cross-province cargo volume along Yangtze River Trunk Line reached 1.502 billion tons, while port throughput of Yangtze River Trunk Line exceeded 1.385 billion tons. In development of economy along Yangtze River, transportation of more than 80% of coal, oil, steel ore, auto and other materials is guaranteed by shipping on Yangtze River. Nowadays, Yangtze River has become the world’s largest and busiest river in terms of cargo transport volume, and is radiating its exuberant vigour and vitality as a golden channel.

The Vicissitude of Shipping on Yangtze River

Reporter Xu Hua