From Experienced Operations to Efficient Intelligence: Dalian Port Pilot Station Embarks on a New Journey After 75 Years

“Three sounds of waves hitting the Huangbaiju, 60 spans from the rapid current, steer left——”

On the stage, a simple wooden staff gently struck the ground, like a thin needle piercing the depths of everyone's memory. Below the stage, the pilots watched intently, and the eyes of a few elderly pilots were filled with nostalgia, as if they had returned to a distant past.

On October 27, at the scene of the 75th Anniversary High-Quality Development Conference of the Dalian Port Pilotage Station, a self-written and directed drama titled "The Legacy of Pilotage at Huangbaiju" brought the audience's thoughts back to those heroic years full of challenges and passion.

Safely piloted 560,000 vessels

The three-act drama, created based on true events, ties together the life trajectories of three generations of Dalian Port pilots—

In 1943, under Japanese occupation, the Huangbaiju Channel was shrouded in dense fog, with rapid currents and hidden reefs blocking ships from entering the port. The "old fisherman Qin Shouzhong," who had guarded the area for generations, defied threats and intimidation from Japanese forces, risking his life with deep patriotism and intimate knowledge of the channel to secretly transport medicine for the Anti-Japanese Allied Forces. This marked the prelude to the pilotage history of Dalian Port.

In 1951, dense fog enveloped the sea and radar malfunctioned en route during the port entry of the "Huang Hai," which was loaded with disaster relief goods and military supplies for the Korean War frontlines. The young Chinese pilot, "Sun Maohuo," with a resolute expression, used the "old methods" passed down by earlier generations to identify the route and successfully guided the large ship into the port safely, earning the respect of a "Soviet pilot."

In modern times, experienced pilot "Wang Yiwei" led his young apprentice "Lin Xing" to guide the super-large oil tanker "New Huang Hai" out of the Huangbaiju Channel. During the voyage, dense fog suddenly descended, making the 300,000-ton giant vessel with immense inertia extremely challenging to maneuver. "Wang Yiwei" calmly activated the emergency plan for large vessels, relying on Beidou's high-precision positioning, 3D current field modeling, and intelligent tugboat assistance systems to ensure the ship safely navigated through the Huangbaiju Channel.

“What has changed are the navigation methods and equipment, but what remains unchanged is the original intention to safely guide every ship into and out of the port.” Traditional techniques and cutting-edge technology have achieved a cross-time handshake on this century-old channel.

The drama concluded to prolonged applause from the audience.

Behind the applause lies the real and profound 75-year history of the Dalian Port Pilotage Station. Starting in 1951, when Dalian's first Chinese pilot Sun Maogui began navigating the first ship "Dongfang," generations of Dalian pilots have forged ahead through the waves, safely piloting over 560,000 domestic and international ships to date.

This is a record that keeps being refreshed: In the 1970s, Dalian Port Pilotage Station guided the "Yinhu" ship to the nation's first 100,000-ton crude oil terminal. In 2004, the first 300,000-ton super-large oil tanker berth was completed. In 2011, the first 400,000-ton ore carrier pilotage operation in the country was accomplished, placing the station at the forefront of national pilotage technology.

These are countless instances of lifting responsibilities for national transportation: Since 2002, the station has successfully completed over a hundred pilotage missions for aircraft carriers "Liaoning" and "Shandong." From 2020 to 2022, the station participated in high-precision undersea pipeline installation projects, completing the piloting of a total of 18 floating pipe sections, ensuring the construction of the Dalian Bay undersea tunnel.

In moments of crisis, they rose to the occasion: In 1979, the pilots safely guided the international cruise ship "Elizabeth" through strong winds and high waves, earning the foreign captain's heartfelt praise, “Pilots are the brightest jewels in the queen’s crown.” In 2010, during the explosion of oil pipelines in Dalian's Xingang PetroChina Tank Area, pilots braved thick smoke and the risk of explosions to swiftly evacuate port ships, steadfastly safeguarding the port's safety.

National model worker Gu Jinquan and recipient of China’s Lifetime Achievement Award in Navigation Wang Wenjing... Generation after generation of role models have lit the way for future seafarers like the beacon of the Huangbaiju Lighthouse. Today, Dalian Port Pilotage Station has fully developed an all-weather, all-vessel-type pilotage operation system, specializing in night navigation. Its comprehensive strength firmly places it in the forefront of national pilotage. The station has trained outstanding talent for pilotage institutions in Hainan, Shandong, Hebei, and other regions, shared practical experience, and consistently delivered replicable and scalable "Dalian experiences" and "Dalian solutions."

This industry weight is also validated in its resonance with port development. Cao Yingfeng, Deputy General Manager of the Liaoning Port Group, stated that Dalian Port has risen to second place globally in the 2025 Global Container Port Performance Index rankings, thanks to the support and guarantee of the pilotage station.

Pilotage is the first gateway in port operations and the primary line of defense for navigation safety. Every year, the operation of tens of thousands of ships entering and leaving the port relies on the solid guarantee of pilotage work,” Cao Yingfeng stated. The Dalian Port Pilotage Station not only maintains a foundation of safety and stability but also continuously improves vessel turnaround efficiency through its outstanding technical capabilities and efficient pilotage support, injecting powerful momentum into the high-quality development of the port.

The Smart Pilotage 5.0 Project Officially Launched

“75 years of perseverance, 75 years of striving forward. Dalian Port Pilotage Station has always been the main force bravely bearing responsibilities and a trailblazer in the development of China’s pilotage industry.” These powerful words from Li Guoping, President of the China Pilot Association, underline the prominent position of the Dalian Port Pilotage Station in the industry.

At the conference, the Smart Pilotage 5.0 project of the Dalian Port Pilotage Station was officially launched. Over the past 25 years, the station’s pilotage integrated management system has gone through four iterations, fully demonstrating the dedication of Dalian pilots in seeking safety through technology and efficiency through intelligence.

Nowadays, entering the smart dispatch center of the Dalian Port Pilotage Station reveals a main control screen displaying clear electronic nautical charts, with vessel dynamics updated in real-time, and historical trajectories available for replay. The ship monitoring system has been adapted to the new generation of electronic navigation chart standard S-101, with fundamental alert functions such as overspeed monitoring and geofencing now fully operational. The once isolated information islands of the automatic ship identification system and pilotage operations are now being interconnected, allowing safety command personnel to intuitively grasp vessel navigation states, pilot information, and provide safety guidance on the same platform.

According to the plan, Dalian Port Pilotage Station is accelerating the construction of an integrated "Vessel Pilotage Intelligent Monitoring and Command System" combining real-time monitoring, intelligent alerts, data storage, and operational integration. Features like collision risk alerts, pilot grouping management, and monitoring of key vessels will be launched successively, weaving a tighter safety net for pilotage operations. From handwritten logs to smart screens, from experience-driven judgments to algorithm simulations, Dalian Port Pilotage Station’s 75 years of practical experience are being transformed into digital assets, injecting intellectual energy into the construction of the Northeast Asia International Shipping Center.

“Seventy-five years represent a glorious past and serve as our new starting point.” Dalian Port Pilotage Station Director Wang Xiaowei motivated all pilots to firmly uphold the lifeline of safe pilotage, adhere to the principles of transparent and incorruptible pilotage, forge a resilient and enduring team of pilots, actively serve the broader goal of high-quality port and maritime development, and contribute to the comprehensive revitalization of Northeast China through pilotage efforts.

The tides rise over the vast seas and skies; now is the time to set sail. Through 75 years of change, from the crashing waves of Huangbaiju to the digital surge of Smart Pilotage 5.0, what has remained unchanged is the responsibility and commitment of being the “first guardians of the national maritime gateway,” as well as the ever-expanding magnificent journey toward building a strong transportation and maritime nation.