Wusong River's last ferry port — here today, may be gone tomorrow If villagers in Qingpu have their way, Shanghai’s last ferry port on the Wusong River will be shut down for safety concerns and replaced by a bridge. But while they want a faster transport system, many of them cherish the memories of a slower lifestyle and would like to see the port area preserved. Wanshi Ferry Port, in the historic Baihe Town, operates one of the few remaining ferries that once dominated transport crossing the river. A new bridge has been planned on the downstream, about 1.5 kilometers away from the ferry port, to make it more convenient for villagers of Wanshi Village, Wang Chunhua, an official with Baihe Township government, told Shanghai Daily yesterday. Wanshi, which literally means “ten-thousand lions,” has been the place to cross the 100-meter-wide section of Wusong River for decades.
Wooden rowing vessels used to take the villagers across but they were replaced by two modern ferry boats in 2007 after the town government rebuilt Wanshi port. Wanshi is one of the only two villages in the town situated on the north bank of the river. Over 500 villagers need to cross the river to the south bank to go to work, school or hospital. The other ferry port for the neighboring Xinjiang village was closed in 2015. The ferry service costs 2 yuan (31 US cents) for a one-way trip, but fewer and fewer people are using it, many preferring to use the two bus lines that offer more convenient links to the South bank and elsewhere in Qingpu District.
