The Jinghong Hydropower Station in Yunnan Province is a major dam on the Lancang River. Our reporter Cen Ziyuan checks out an engineering marvel that allows boats to travel upstream and downstream in minutes.

At the Jinghong Hydropower Station, the difference in height between upstream and downstream is about 67 meters. Ships have to travel through the hydropower station to get to Simao Port, a major hub for international trade.

CEN ZIYUAN Jinghong, Yunnan Province "Jinghong's main purpose is to generate hydro-electric power. It also provides hydraulic ship lift service for vessels to travel upstream or downstream. The ship lift has been designed by Chinese engineers and is the first of its kind in the world. It's also been granted a patent in the US."

The ship lift, which was put into operation in 2016, is a breakthrough in the field of high dam navigation in the world. It takes about 17 minutes for the facility to complete lifting a ship.

GUO JINZHONG Director, Operation and Maintenance Department, Huaneng Jinghong Hydropower Station "The challenging part is that we did not have any reference when we built this lift. It is our own innovation. We generate electricity, but we also need to operate the hydraulic ship lift. The plant is the first of its kind in operation that covers both daily operation and maintenance of generating electricity and providing a lift service for ships."

Existing ship lifts fall into two categories: electrical or hydraulic. Each comes with its pros and cons. The hydraulic system was chosen for its simplicity and accessibility of parts. 

HUANG QUN Director, Engineering Department, Huaneng Jinghong Hydropower Station "Our structure is relatively simple. The principle of its operation is straightforward. The loaded equipment and components are easy to find. It does not require that many accessories such as the power engine and decelerator. It doesn't need a power system."

When a ship needs to go downstream or upstream, the hydraulic ship lift adjusts the difference by using water volume. Traditional lifts adjust the weight and balance via electricity and engine power.

HUANG QUN Director, Engineering Department, Huaneng Jinghong Hydropower Station "The technical challenges for the future development of the hydraulic ship lift is expanding its capability to handle heavier ships. That's one aspect of it. The others are to increase the height at which the lift can be raised, and the new challenge of hydrodynamics."

Because Jinhong Hydropower Station serves as a key point to get to Simao Port, the lift service is free of charge.

LIANG GUOFENG Monitor, Reservoir Department, Huaneng Jinghong Hydropower Station "We have the capability to handle both domestic and international vessels' travel. So far, we have only received requests from domestic vessels."

This year marks the fifth anniversary of the Lancang-Mekong Water Resource Cooperation. The team hopes the ship-lift can provide safe and convenient shipping channels for domestic and overseas vessels and make contributions to the social and economic development in the area. Cen Ziyuan, CGTN, Jinghong, Yunnan Province.