Paris has Seine River cruises, London has Thames River cruises, now Kunming has their own!
After several decades of suspension, the Kunming government has finally reinstated the Panlong River ferry cruise to the public.
The restoration of this river route is officially known as "Kunming Panlong Jiang 2019-12-26 Hui Fu Hang Yun" (昆明盘龙江2019/12/26恢复航运). The maiden voyage is opened for five celebratory trial runs daily, from 9:30-10:30, 10:50-11:50, 13:00-14:00, 14:20-15:20, 15:40-16:40.
Upgraded to an electric powered ferry (her name 云津1号）is surrounded with transparent glass to the ceiling, and comfortably seats around 25 passengers. Yun Jin Yi Hao's low elevation design allows under the bridge crossings. For the time being, the ferry travels smoothly up and down a small section of Panlong River to the tune of 5km distance.
The boarding ticket costs 50yuan per pax. Pricey, yes, but just for today, a commemorative gift box is included in the fee to celebrate this historic occasion.
Port Location:
Panlong River and Doufuchang Alley (豆腐厂巷), just west of Moma mansion.
GPS 25°02'50.2"N 102°42'58.9"E
Here's an article about it with pictures and a map:
www.sohu.com/a/362903790_658182
It is nice to see something coming back.
What's the take off point??
The fare is steep for crowd control purposes due to manpower deficit and limited vessel capacity. Quite a few curious onlookers by the dock. Best avoid overcrowding pushing and shoving at the queue during week of launching ceremony. The helmsmen and personnel need more familiarity navigating over shallow waters and under low bridges. The extra weight and confusion at this early trial juncture are safety risks for all.
Embarkation coordinates:
25°02'50.2"N 102°42'58.9"E
50 rmb. Less than a lot of other tourist attractions in Yunnan. How much are the boat rides on Dianchi?
because other tourist attractions are even more overpriced , i dont see the point of paying 50yuan for 5km ferry... most of posts in Chinese articles about this 'new attraction' complain
about the ticket price
Probably not your thing, but then you are not a tourist. 50 rmb x 25 passengers x 5 one hour trips per day = 6250. Minus licence fee, wages, mooring fees, any other permits, recovering the cost of the boat and all other running costs. Nobody is getting rich.
You might prefer the 5 minute helicopter rides for 800 rmb in Haigeng Park.
If my 80 year old mother came to visit, she would find it difficult to walk around the noise of the city with her sticks. She would love a quiet ride along the river.
I could spend all day talking about all the crap tourist facilities in my home town, but why do that? Also, I have never met a local or tourist here, who does not say that everything is too expensive.
