Promptly at 7 o’clock, six water buses: two express ships and four tourist ships, set out without fanfare separately from Zhongda Ferry Pier and Fangcun Ferry Pier. And it opens the first Guangzhou water bus route on April 11, 2007. There was four drop off points: Zhongda Ferry Pier, Tianzi Ferry Pier, Xidi Ferry Pier and Fangcun Ferry Pier. Thus, an alternate route is available for the passengers travelling in between the two banks of the Pearl River.
In stark contrast with other Pearl River cruises, Pearl River cruises, the ships on this route are plain, yet comfortable and efficient. On drawing near people can spot the navigator’s perch as well as the passengers’ seats. There are windows for unobstructed view on both sides of the passengers’ seats. Each ship has lifeguards on duty, enough life jackets as well as sea-sickness pills for all. The express ship can hold 60 passengers and can take around 30 minutes to complete its voyage, while the tourist ship can load 250 persons and can take 40 minutes per trip.
Ticket
The one way ticket fare is CNY2 per person for a seat in the ordinary cabin on the lower deck; and CNY6 per person for a seat in the sightseeing cabin on the upper deck. One pays CNY10 for a round trip on the upper deck. One pays either by cash or by Yang Cheng Tong, Guangzhou city’s very own public transit smart card. There are card swipe machines and cash boxes at the entrance of the waiting room for passengers’ convenience.
Timetable at the Four Ferry Piers
Zhongda Ferry Pier
| First Ship | 07:00 | |
| Peak Time | 07:00-09:30 in the morning 17:00-18:00 in the afternoon |
07:00, 07:30, 08:00, 08:30, 09:00, 09:30, 17:00, 17:30, 18:00 |
| Slack Time | 09:30-17:00 | 09:30, 10:15, 11:00, 11:45, 12:30, 13:15, 14:00, 14:45, 15:30, 16:15, 17:00 |
| Last Ship | To Xidi/Fangcun Ferry Pier | 18:00 |
| To Tianzi Ferry Pier | 19:50 | |
Tianzi Ferry Pier
| First Ship | Peak Time | Slack Time | Last Ship | |
| To Zhongda Ferry Pier | 07:28 | 07:28-10:28 & 16:28-18:23 (there is a ship every 30 minutes) | 10:28-16:28 (there is a ship every 45 minutes) | 19:23 |
| To Xidi/Fangcun Ferry Pier | 07:12 | 07:12-09:42 & 17:12-18:12 (there is a ship every 30 minutes) | 09:42-17:12 (there is a ship every 45 minutes) | 18:12 |
Xidi Ferry Pier| First Ship | Peak Time | Slack Time | Last Ship | |
| To Tianzi/Zhongda Ferry Pier | 07:20 | 07:20-10:20 & 16:20-18:15 (there is a ship every 30 minutes) | 10:20-16:20 (there is a ship every 45 minutes) | 18:15 |
| To Fangcun Ferry Pier | 07:20 | 07:20-09:50 & 17:20-18:20 (there is a ship every 30 minutes) | 09:50-17:20 (there is a ship every 45 minutes) | 18:20 |
Fangcun Ferry Pier
| First Ship | 07:15 | |
| Peak Time | 07:15-10:15 16:15-18:10 |
07:15, 07:45, 08:15, 08:45, 09:15, 09:45, 10:15, 16:15, 16:45, 17:15, 17:45 |
| Slack Time | 09:30-17:00 | 10:15, 11:00, 11:45, 12:30, 13:15, 14:00, 14:45, 15:30, 16:15 |
| Last Ship | 18:10 | |
More Water Bus Routes to be Opened
Thanks to the success of the present water bus enterprise, more and more water bus routes will be inaugurated in future. A second route, Zhongda Ferry Pier – Guangzhou Pagoda Ferry Pier – Haixinsha Ferry Pier, is now under construction to extend services to the Exhibition Center Wharf, Whampoa Military Academy and University Town (Shenjing Wharf). Water bus of Guangzhou will eventually reach Dongguan and Nanshan in the southeast in Guangzhou’s forward looking master plans.
