VESSEL REVIEW | Anhui River Pearl – Sightseeing and events vessel for operation on Yangtze River

China's Wuhu Cultural Tourism Investment has taken delivery of a new sightseeing vessel built locally by Jianglong Shipbuilding.

Anhui River Pearl (皖江明珠号; Wanjiang Mingzhu) was designed by the Wuhan Yangtze River Ship Design Institute. Her area of operations will encompass the waters off the city of Wuhu as well as the Yangtze River.

Capable of accommodating various event types

The vessel has all-steel construction, an LOA of 128 metres (420 feet), a beam of 26 metres (85 feet), a draught of only 2.4 metres (7.9 feet), a height of 24 metres (79 feet), a gross tonnage of 12,371, and space for up to 1,000 passengers across four decks.

The entire vessel integrates multiple service functions such as tourist excursions, retail shopping, high-end specialty catering, private events such as weddings, live entertainment, and corporate activities.

Well-appointed interior and exterior venues

The decks are fitted with panoramic floor-to-ceiling windows, thus providing passengers with unobstructed views of the outside as well as letting as much natural light as possible into the interior spaces. During nighttime, exterior lights will provide illumination that make the vessel highly visible on the water.

The main deck features two large lobbies, a selection of shops, children's play areas, a 260-square-metre (2,800-square-foot) leisure booth space that can accommodate 135 people simultaneously, and an owner's office.

A large dining area that can also host private events such as weddings is located on the second deck near the stern while the third deck has VIP rooms of varying dimensions for smaller private gatherings.

The fourth deck has bow and stern open-air observation areas, additional VIP rooms, conference rooms, and bars.

Access between the decks is via lift.