620 years ago, the renowned Chinese navigator Admiral ZHENG He commanded the world’s then most advanced wooden fleet, setting sail from Taicang, Jiangsu Province, Southern China. His historic voyages brought the ancient Maritime Silk Road into its prime and left an indelible mark on the history of human navigation. Today, the new-generation intelligent vessel M.V. XIN HONG ZHUAN, jointly built by COSCO SHIPPING and Dalian Maritime University, embarks on a cultural exhibition voyage tributing maritime silk road from Dalian, Liaoning province, Northeast China, weaving a grand maritime tapestry that bridges together past and present.

On June 16, the launch ceremony of the voyage themed “Rivers to the Sea – M.V. XIN HONG ZHUAN’s Culture Exhibition voyage Tributing the Maritime Silk Road” was held. The voyage is jointly organized by COSCO SHIPPING and Dalian Maritime University (DMU), and is one of the key activities celebrating 2025 China's National Maritime Day.

At the ceremony, Mr. ZHANG Yong, Executive Vice President of COSCO SHIPPING; Dr. SHAN Hongjun, President and Professor of Dalian Maritime University; Mr. LI Shixin, Deputy General Manager of China Institute of Navigation; and Mr. ZHAO Feng, Director of China Maritime Museum, delivered speeches respectively.

Mr. ZHANG Yong pointed out that the M.V. XIN HONG ZHUAN’s cultural exhibition voyage tributing to the Maritime Silk Road holds profound significance in promoting maritime spirit, disseminating maritime culture, and inspiring young people to pursue careers in the shipping industry. The vessel is equipped with autonomous navigation and remote-control capabilities, exemplifiying China’s leading position in intelligent shipbuilding and autonomous shipping technologies. It serves not only as a training base for cultivating the nation’s next generation of mariners, but also a key platform and a gleaming emblem for advancing China’s vision of becoming a maritime powerhouse and developing new quality productive forces in the ocean economy.

As International Maritime Organization (IMO) introduces its four-stage framework for Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships (MASS), COSCO SHIPPING is committed to developing a full-lifecycle digital intelligent vessel operation platform. COSCO SHIPPING will actively advance the construction of smart ships and the application of cutting-edge navigation technologies, guided by the principles of autonomy, digitization, and green transformation.

COSCO SHIPPING looks forward to collaborating with industry peers, academic institutions, and research partners across all sectors. Taking the exhibition voyage of M.V. XIN HONG ZHUAN as a new starting point, we will jointly pursue our shared vision of a “vibrant maritime future”—marked by an ecological ocean, smart ocean, unhindered ocean, open ocean, and culturally rich ocean—to make greater contributions toward building a global maritime community with a shared future.

At the launch ceremony, four key stakeholders - Shenzhen COSCO SHIPPING Digital Technology Co., Ltd., Dalian Maritime University, Shanghai Ship and Shipping Research Institute Co., Ltd., and COSCO SHIPPING Heavy Industry (Dalian) Co., Ltd. - signed a framework agreement to establish an industry-academia-research-application innovation consortium for the research and development of smart ship communication and navigation equipment. This collaboration aims to build a deeply integrated innovation ecosystem that synergizes production, education, research, and practical application.

Mr. LI Guoping, Chief Advisor of the exhibition voyage, and Prof, XU Minqiang, Secretary of the CPC Dalian Maritime University Committee, jointly unveiled the “Smart Navigation Initiative” Intelligent Ship Training Center. Co-developed by COSCO SHIPPING and Dalian Maritime University as a national-level training base, the center will utilize M.V. XIN HONG ZHUAN as a platform to create a comprehensive onboard training facility integrating teaching practice, scientific innovation, and technological verification.

The first cohort of trainees will comprise over ten students from DMU’s Navigation College, Marine Engineering College, and Marine Electrical Engineering College, who will participate in the smart ship research program during the exhibition voyage.

M.V. XIN HONG ZHUAN will pay tribute to the Maritime Silk Road by calling at the nation’s key historical and modern hubs: Taicang (Admiral ZHENG He’s departure point), Shanghai (a global shipping center), Quanzhou (a 21st-century Maritime Silk Road nexus), and Hainan Free Trade Port.

The 30-day, about 4,000-nautical-mile cultural voyage will dock at 8 ports across 5 provinces/municipalities in China (Dalian, Taicang, Shanghai, Quanzhou, Haikou, Yangpu, Qionghai, Sanya), with 2–3 days at each stop for public exhibitions. During its stay in Hainan Province, the vessle will conduct pioneering intelligent navigation experiments tackling busy waterways conditions and narrow, complex channels.

During the one-month voyage, M.V. XIN HONG ZHUAN will be supported by Shenzhen COSCO SHIPPING Digital Technology and Haining Technology— two subsidiaries of COSCO SHIPPING Guangzhou—which deployed their independently developed intelligent weather routing system named “Freedom” along with other electronic chart navigation equipment. These technologies will provide the vessel with real-time meteorological hazard avoidance and optimal route planning throughout the journey.

Key Features of M.V. XIN HONG ZHUAN

· Global First

It is the world’s first intelligent vessel combining dual purposes of remote control and autonomous navigation, as well as onboard training capabilities;

· Pioneering Intelligence

The dual-purpose ship features full-scope smart systems, including intelligent navigation, engine room automation, energy efficiency optimization, intelligent hull, intelligent platform, and an intelligent training system;

· Fully Independent Innovation

100% of its core systems were locally designed and manufactured;

· Open Platform

The vessel also serves as a mobile testbed for intelligent shipping technologies, enabling real-world experimentation and validation.

The project achieved advancements in digital technology-assisted ship design, AI-driven shipbuilding, smart data platform integration, 3D modeling for compact spaces, and rigorous system testing protocols. By adopting a digital ship design platform, COSCO SHIPPING Heavy Industry Dalian has significantly shortened the design cycle, improved design accuracy, reduced labor input, and enhanced overall design and production efficiency by approximately 30%.

M.V. XIN HONG ZHUAN will also carry out expanded sea experiments, further refining technologies such as the AI decision-making model for ship control and cross-domain, multi-source, heterogeneous information fusion algorithms. These efforts will provide important support for China’s fundamental, cutting-edge, and key research in intelligent ship navigation and shipping.

New “Ship Cover”

At the launch event, the cultural exhibition voyage-themed painted hull wrap was officially unveiled. This marks the first successful application of hull painting film in China. The project adopts the most advanced industrial-grade UV spray painting technology, utilizing digital tools for the design and color separation of complex patterns and color schemes. The construction process achieves zero VOC (volatile organic compound) emissions. The material features excellent corrosion resistance, wear resistance, and other durable properties, with an expected service life of more than seven years. Through the platform of the exhibition voyage, this initiative has launched an innovative practice in “ship cover” decorative art.