On May 14, a massive 1,500-ton gantry crane manufactured by Taiwan Zhoujv Wind Power Energy departed from Pingtan port, a strategic logistics hub located off the coast of Fujian province and the closest point on the Chinese mainland to the island of Taiwan. As China's second international tourism island after Hainan and a key pilot zone for cross-Straits integration, Pingtan is increasingly becoming a focal point for large-scale cargo operations.

Standing 137 meters tall with a span of 103 meters and weighing over 4,000 tons, the towering crane was fully loaded and shipped intact aboard the vessel Xiang Tai Kou, bound for Kaohsiung port in Taiwan. This marks the first time such an enormous piece of equipment  has been transported as a complete unit from a Fujian port.

"This is the first time our province has shipped a major piece of equipment of this scale," said Liu Xiaoping, a manager at Pingtan Port Affairs Co. "The manufacturer chose Pingtan port because of the optimal shipping route and cost-efficiency."

"The logistics of transporting such a supersized structure posed significant challenges, especially in ensuring safety during its sea journey," Captain Mao Ruiguang of the Xiang Tai Kou explained the complexities involved in the voyage.

Successfully shipping this ultra-large gantry crane as a whole is a landmark moment in Pingtan port's transformation toward handling high-value, large-scale cargo.