The First Crossing Boat

The First Crossing Boat

The First Crossing Boat is a classic site of red tourism.

The "First Crossing Boat" was originally built by Shanghai Shenji Shipyard as a steel steam-powered vessel. Launched in 1925, it measures 23.1 meters in length, 4.25 meters in width, and has a gross tonnage of 49 tons. During the 1949 Yangtze River Crossing Campaign, it braved heavy gunfire to be the first boat to transport over 100 People's Liberation Army soldiers to the southern bank. It then made several round trips, ferrying more than 1,400 commanders and soldiers including Deng Xiaoping, Chen Yi, Tan Qilong, and Ji Pengfei across the Yangtze River. It made remarkable contributions to overthrowing the Kuomintang regime and liberating all of China. After the liberation, it served at the Xiaguan Power Plant in Nanjing. In 1978, it was reassigned to Guannan to support waterway transportation, generating a total transport output value of 18 million yuan over 27 years. In 1983, after verification by the National Cultural Heritage Administration and the Nanjing Yangtze River Crossing Campaign Memorial Hall, the boat was officially recognized as the "First Crossing Boat." In 1986, it was listed among the first batch of cultural relics protection units by Guannan County. In 1998, it was designated as a patriotism and traditional education base by Lianyungang City, and in 2005, it was named an off-campus activity demonstration base for Lianyungang youth. In 2006, the story of the boat was turned into a TV documentary titled *The Story of the Jingdian*, which was broadcast nationwide. Serving as a key educational resource for party members, league members, employees, and youths during major holidays, the "First Crossing Boat" has become a base for red tourism. To date, it has welcomed over 600,000 visitors.

Source: Party History Research Office of the Lianyungang Municipal Committee of the Communist Party of China