On July 21, 2013, Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, headed to Central China's Hubei Province for an inspection tour. As soon as he stepped off the plane, he braved the rain to visit the Yangluo container port in Wuhan.

Xi first visited the central control room to hear a briefing on the construction of the port.

"What are the navigation standards for the Three Gorges?" and "What are the conditions of the waterways upstream and downstream of Wuhan?" he asked.

On learning that the port's equipment and systems were the most advanced for inland shipping in the country at the time, Xi nodded with satisfaction.

"President Xi has a deep understanding of inland waterway transport," Yu Liqi, then a central control room operator in the operations department of Wuhan Port Container Company, recalled. "His questions were both specific and professional, reflecting his deep interest in the development of the Yangtze River's 'golden waterway' and the modern logistics industry."

After leaving the control room, Xi headed to the dock. Gu Qiangsheng, then general manager of the company, briefed Xi on port operations.

President Xi Jinping inspects the Yangluo container port in Wuhan, Central China's Hubei Province, on July 21, 2013. (Photo: Xinhua)

It was raining heavily. With his trousers rolled up, Xi waded through the water holding an umbrella.

"Even though President Xi saw I was wearing a raincoat, he still kept leaning his umbrella toward me," said Gu.

"What are the prospects of inland ports? How many containers are sent to the southeast coast?" Xi asked.

Sixty percent were foreign trade containers and 40 percent were domestic trade containers, Gu said. "Inland ports have great potential."

Stopping next to a crane, Xi asked whether the equipment was imported or made in China.

"All of the equipment is domestically produced and meets world-class quality standards," Gu said.

Xi cares deeply about economic development. As he walked, he chatted with Gu in a relaxed, conversational way, observing closely and asking detailed, focused questions.

As the rain grew heavier, his white shirt became soaked.

The scene of Xi inspecting the site in the rain left a deep impression on all staff at Yangluo Port.

During the visit, he stressed the need for stronger cooperation across the Yangtze River basin, making full use of inland shipping and developing the entire river into a "golden waterway." "It is precisely because of his earnest guidance that our port has been transformed," Gu said.

Over the past 10-plus years, Yangluo Port has seen its shipping routes expand from single digits to more than 30, including five international direct routes.

In 2025, import and export container volume at Yangluo Port exceeded 600,000 TEUs for the first time, reaching 601,000, up 3.8 percent year on year.

Total import and export cargo throughput reached 8.833 million tons, up 4.8 percent, both record highs.

(Compiled by Xie Runjia and Yu Jiming; Edited by Huang Jingjing; Proofread by Zhang Jian; Source: Xi Jinping and Frontline Workers, a book featuring Xi's engagements with workers published by China Workers Press in late 2025)