Friday, June 14, 2013

Port Of Da Nang, Vietnam



Da Nang Port lies at the south end of a bay off the South China Sea in east central Vietnam some 622 kilometers north-northeast of Saigon Port in Ho Chi Min City. One of the country's biggest cities, Da Nang Port has an excellent harbor enclosed to the east by the Tien Sa Peninsula and Cape Da Nang. In 2008, about 900 thousand people lived in Da Nang Port.

In addition to being one of the country's major container ports, Da Nang Port is an industrial city with a fast-growing economy. The major products produced in Da Nang Port's 4900 factories are seafood, furniture, household goods, and clothing. Tourism is also important to the local economy.

Da Nang Port was first ceded to France in 1787, but it was not part of the French protectorate. Called Tourane by the French, Da Nang Port was, however, a French concession outside the protectorate. When Vietnam was partitioned in 1954, Da Nang Port grew in importance.

In the 19th Century, the Nguyen Dynasty ruled that all western cargo vessels could only trade at the Han estuary, making Da Nang Port a center for foreign trade. Da Nang Port also benefited from the silting up of the Co Co River, ending the advantage of the commercial port at Hoi.

Under orders from Napoleon III, French troops landed in Da Nang Port in 1858, beginning the French colonial occupation of the city. It was soon one of five major cities in Indochina.

During the United States' Vietnam War, the city held a major US air base, and Da Nang Port facilities were expanded by the Americans.

In the 1960s, a new modern textile mill was added to the traditional textile and silk-spinning facilities in Da Nang Port. Beverage-making plants and machinery appeared in Da Nang Port in the 1970s. In 1976, a new hospital and polytechnic college were established in the city, and Da Nang Port was linked to Ho Chi Minh City (previously Saigon) by both highway and rail.

Until 1997, Da Nang Port was part of Quang Nam-Da Nang province. In 1997, the city became Vietnam's fourth independent municipality, being separated from Quang Nam Province.

After a century of growth and development, Da Nang Port has become the busiest port in central Vietnam and a vital component of the regional and national economy. Recognized by the government for its outstanding performance, Da Nang Port has also become one of the country's most modern ports. As the gateway to trade for the East-West Transport Corridor that includes Myanmar, Laos, Thailand, and Vietnam, Da Nang Port is an import-export center serving central Vietnam and the country's highlands.

The Vietnam National Shipping Lines is the port authority for Da Nang Port. Da Nang Port occupies 1.2 thousand hectares with a depth of from 10 to 17 meters at Danang Bay. Surrounded by the Son Tra Peninsula and Hai Van Mountain, the harbor is well protected with a breakwater that facilitates anchorage and cargo-handling throughout the year. Located hear the Danang International Airport and the national railroad station, Da Nang Port has easy access to the nation's transportation networks and the hinterland.

In 2008, Da Nang Port handled a total of 2.7 million tons of cargo, including 1.2 million tons of exports, 525.9 thousand tons of imports, and 985.6 thousand tons of domestic cargo. Cargoes included 61.9 thousand TEUs of containerized cargo. Da Nang Port also served 29.6 thousand passengers in 2008, a significant increase over prior years.

Da Nang Port contains a total of 1493 meters of berths in two major areas: Tien Sa Terminal and Song Han Terminal. Da Nang Port has capacity to handle up to five million tons of cargo per year.

The approach channel to Da Nang Port's Tien Sa Terminal from the pilot station is eight nautical miles long with a channel depth from 10 to 17 meters. The annual throughput capacity at Tien Sa Terminal is 4.5 million tons.

All berths at the Tien Sa Terminal at Da Nang Port have alongside depth of 3.7 meters. Berths 1 through 4 are each 185 meters long, and Berth 5 is 225 meters long. The 450-meter long breakwater allows berthing throughout the year, free from the affects of waves and monsoons.

The Tien Sa Terminal is a natural deep-water port with depths from 10 to 12 meters. Its berths total 965 meters at one wharf with two finger piers. The Tien Sa Terminal can accommodate general cargo vessels to 45 thousand DWT, container vessels to two thousand TEUs, or passenger vessels to 75 thousand GRT.

The approach channel to Da Nang Port's Song Han Terminal is 12 nautical miles long from the pilot station, and the channel depth is from 6 to 7 meters, and it can accommodate vessels to five thousand DWT.

The Song Han Terminal at Da Nang Port has capacity to handle one million tons of cargo per year. The terminal offers five berths at a total 528 meters long and a draft of 0.7 meters. Berth 1 is 140 meters long. Berths 2 and 3 are each 100 meters long, and Berth 4 is 90 meters long.

Song Han Terminal is located on the Han River near Da Nang city. With a total of 528 meters of berths, it serves customers in the city of Da Nang.

Da Nang Port contains a total of 229.3 thousand square meters of storage area including 29.2 thousand square meters of warehouse space and 183.7 thousand square meters of yards.



The Tien Sa Terminal contains 13.7 thousand square meters of warehouses, including a 2.2 thousand square meter Container Freight Station, and 138.3 thousand square meters of yards. The Song Han Terminal contains 3.3 thousand square meters of warehouses and 16.3 thousand square meters of yards. In addition, the Quang freight warehouse station contains 12.2 thousand square meters of warehouses and 29.1 thousand square meters of yards.


The City of Da Nang is a picturesque city on Vietnam's eastern coast. With beautiful natural surroundings, Da Nang Port is at the heart of three world cultural heritage sites: the ancient capital of Hue, ancient Hoi An town, and the holy land of My Son. Da Nang Port is a popular tourist destination with many attractions that visitors will want to check out.

The Son Tra peninsula that protects Da Nang Port is one of the most beautiful places in the world, and the peninsula is surrounded by scenic alluvial plains. The beautiful Han River is a source of pride for the people of Da Nang Port. The Han River bridge is a symbol of the new life of the city and its prosperous future. With long clean beaches, Da Nang Port is one of Vietnam's favorite vacation spots.

Being the landing point for the French colonial invasion, many reminders of the colonial period remain in Da Nang Port. There are also many reminders of the "American War" in Da Nang Port. The ruins of a military base remain on China Beach, with helicopter hangars reminding visitors and residents of the city's recent stormy past.

While many tourists miss the charms of Da Nang Port, it is one of the best places for backpackers in all of Vietnam.China Beach is now home to guest houses and shops. With some of Vietnam's most isolated and beautiful beaches, it is the perfect detonation for tourists on a budget.

While the province was not friendly to foreigners in the past, the local government has eagerly pursued tourism and foreign investment since the 1990s. Over the past decades, the city has grown quickly. Today, it sports multi-story buildings and modern beach resorts. The downtown area of Da Nang Port is relaxed and quiet, with several attractions that include a zoo, a water park, tennis courts, pool halls, and a soccer stadium as well as many night clubs.

During the relatively dry summers, temperatures can reach 36 °C (97 °F) from July to August. Tropical storms are common in October and November.

The Marble Mountains, about nine kilometers south of Da Nang Port, are a fascinating place where Buddhist temples hide in caves and grottoes and pilgrims still journey. Am Phu cave offers a steep climb from caverns filled with statues of sinners being punished to a magnificent view and many sacred sculptures from the top of the mountain. Guides are available for hire, and visitors are advised to wear climbing or walking shoes.

Ba Na Hill Station is a 1920s French Resort about 40 kilometers west of Da Nang Port that used to house villas, restaurants, and clubs enjoyed by the French colonials. In the midst of an unspoiled forest and with a temperate climate, the Ba Na Hill Station offers breathtaking views of the South China Sea and Lao mountain range. While the roads are difficult, demanding 4-wheel drive, the site is also reachable by a new cable system that takes visitors to the top of Mount Chua.

The 1915 Cham Museum in Da Nang Port contains a collection of stone sculptures that were made by the Hindu Cham civilization that lived here from about 1000 B.C. to the 14th Century AD. While the sandstone sculptures have been weathered badly, they show the skills of the artists who made them. Statues depict Shiva, garudas, nadas, and animals holy to the Hindu religion. The collections were taken from the disintegrating Cham ruins before they could be taken by looters.
So beware!!! 




Monday, June 10, 2013

Port Of Vladivostok, Russia



The Port of Vladivostok is Russia's most southeastern seaport and the administrative center of the Primorsky territory near the country's borders with China and North Korea. Lying on the shores of the Golden Horn Bay (Zolotoy Rog) off the Sea of Japan, the Port of Vladivostok is almost 470 nautical miles north-northwest of Japan's Port of Sakai and about 510 nautical miles north-northeast of the Port of Busan in Korea. The Port of Vladivostok is an important cultural and educational center for the Russian Far East, and students are a major group within the city's population. In 2005, over 586 thousand people lived in the Port of Vladivostok.

The economy of the Port of Vladivostok is largely based on maritime-oriented activities that include shipping, fishing, and the Russian Navy. Commercial fishing contributes most of the Port of Vladivostok's commercial output. The Port of Vladivostok is also home to the Russian Navy's Pacific Fleet. The Port of Vladivostok imports food products, clothing and footwear, medicines, automobiles, household items, and ships. Its main exports include fish, timber, metals, and ships.

The land supporting the Port of Vladivostok has belonged to many powers that included the ancient Korean Balhae Kingdom, Manchu Dynasty ancestors (the Jurchen), the Mongols, and China. Russia took control of the area in 1858 under the Treaty of Aigun with China.

Founded as a military outpost by Russia in 1960, the Port of Vladivostok's geographic location made it an important strategic base for Russia's Navy. In 1872, the Port of Vladivostok began to grow when the country's main naval base was located there.

The arrival of the Chinese Eastern Railway in 1903 connected the Port of Vladivostok to Manchuria and gave the port a better connection to the rest of the Russian Empire and enhanced its importance as a major center in eastern Russia. The Port of Vladivostok was important as a military port that received supplies from the United States during World War I.

When the Russian Revolution of 1917 began, the Port of Vladivostok was occupied by foreign forces, primarily the Japanese, who stayed there until the early 1920s. After they left the city, the Port of Vladivostok became important to the new Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) government.

The Port of Vladivostok continued to be the home of Russia's Pacific Fleet after the USSR took control. It grew considerably after World War II as a military base, and the Port of Vladivostok was closed to foreign shipping between the late 1950s and the end of the Soviet era in the early 1990s.

During the Soviet period, the city's industries were diversified. Large ship repair yards were constructed, workshops supporting the railways were added, and a plant making mining equipment was built.



After the "fall of Communism" in Russia, the Port of Vladivostok emerged as a commercial port with links to other eastern Russian ports as well as countries of the Far East. It began to import consumer goods from Japan, China, and other nations. Today, the Port of Vladivostok is the eastern last stop on Russia's Northern Sea Route that stretches from on the country's northeastern shores near Finland. It is the principal base for supplies for Russia's Arctic ports to the east of Cape Chelyuskin.

Much of the fish caught or processed in the Russian Far East is sent to the Port of Vladivostok for distribution to the rest of the country. The Port of Vladivostok exports petroleum, grain, and coal.

Today, the Port of Vladivostok contains light industries that make instruments and radios, veneers and furniture, chinaware, and pharmaceuticals. Food industries are important to the local economy, making fish, meat, and flour. A small building industry also arose in the Port of Vladivostok making prefabricated building panels.

After the Soviet era ended, the Port of Vladivostok's industries began to decline. Only the food processing industry continued to thrive, and mechanical engineering first remained busy. Today, the Port of Vladivostok is the eastern end of the Trans-Siberian Railroad.

The Commercial Port of Vladivostok is a fast-growing Russian transport company. While the Port of Vladivostok was originally founded in 1897 for domestic cargoes, it started handling foreign cargoes in 1991.

The Port of Vladivostok holds a strategically important position at the crossroads of international shipping corridors, and it has a well-developed cargo-handling infrastructure. Its major trading partners include South Korea, China, Japan, Taiwan, Thailand, and Vietnam.

The Port of Vladivostok strives to promote and develop world trade and local prosperity by creating competitive advantages for its customers and partners. The Port of Vladivostok employs over 3500 people, and it contains almost 60 port-related businesses including stevedores, freight forwarders, shipping agents, surveyors, and other marine-related enterprises.

The Port of Vladivostok has capacity to handle up to 11 million tons of cargo per year. Its major cargoes include containers, metal products, vehicles, pulp, and general cargoes. Serving 16 shipping lines, the Port of Vladivostok supports ten container lines, four roll-on/roll-off lines, and two passenger vessel lines.

The Port of Vladivostok has a total of 4.2 kilometers of quays with alongside depth of up to 15 meters. Each berth is supported by rail tracks, with a total 20 kilometers of railways serving the port. The Port of Vladivostok covers an area of 55.2 hectares, and the harbor approach is from 20 to 30 meters deep. The Port of Vladivostok's railway station has capacity for one thousand wagons. The Port of Vladivostok contains 17 berths for commercial cargoes and passengers.

The Port of Vladivostok contains 63.4 thousand square meters of sheds and open storage area of 17.6 hectares. It contains two refrigerated warehouses, each of five thousand square meters.

The Vladivostok Container Terminal (VCT) is a joint venture between the Commercial Port of Vladivostok and the National Container Company. Operating since 1983, the Port of Vladivostok Container Terminal handles containers, heavy lift cargoes, and vehicles and serves ocean-going vessels, vehicles, and rail wagons. The VCT quay can accommodate two container ships at the same time at its quays with alongside depth of 11.6 meters. The VCT can handle 150 thousand TEUs of containerized cargo per year.

Berths 14 and 15 in the Port of Vladivostok handle containers and general cargo. The quay is 379 meters long with alongside depths of 11.5 and 14 meters, and the berths include warehouse capacity to store 160 thousand tons of cargo. The Port of Vladivostok has redeveloped Berths 14 and 15 into a dedicated container terminal that increased the port's container-handling capacity to 200 thousand TEUs per year.

The Port of Vladivostok Automobile Terminal (VAT) specializes in handling cars and other vehicles for distribution to Russian regions and other Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) countries. The VAT offers temporary warehouse storage, stevedoring, and logistics services. The VAT has three warehouses for temporary storage, including a ten-story building that can accommodate one thousand cars, and 700 meters of rail tracks served by a two-level ramp.

Currently being rebuilt at Berth 11, the Port of Vladivostok's Oil Terminal is 86.8 meters long with alongside depth of 8 meters. It has capacity for storing 26 thousand cubic meters of oil products. In addition to meeting modern industrial and environmental standards, the Oil Terminal offers state-of-the-art dark oil products discharge technology and, when completed, will handle up to 1.5 million tons of cargo per year.

At Berths 1 and 2, the Port of Vladivostok Passenger Terminal has a 508.9 meter long quay with alongside depth of 9.8 meters. The Port of Vladivostok recognizes a growing need to modernize the existing passenger terminal, especially in light of the 2012 APEC Summit to be held in the Port of Vladivostok.

Aside from these specialized berths, the remaining berths are universal, handling a variety of cargoes that include containers, general cargo as well as bulk and liquid cargoes. Being the terminus of the Trans-Siberian Railway, the Port of Vladivostok is a major transportation center for imports and exports.

The Port of Vladivostok is currently involved in several projects to modernize the port and increase its capacity. It is building an integrated container terminal at Berths 12 through 17 that will be managed by a single operator and will have capacity for 600 thousand TEUs by 2011. Berths 14 and 15 are the first to be reconstructed. The existing Port of Vladivostok Container Terminal will be the core of the new integrated facility.

The Port of Vladivostok is also building a vehicle terminal to handle, store, and forward automobiles and other vehicles. Cars will be distributed to Russia and other CIS countries by railway from the Port of Vladivostok. When construction is completed, the terminal will have capacity for 10 thousand units per year.

The new South Primorye Terminal will serve as a transport logistics complex serving the Russian Far East. It will have two main functions. The dry port cargo terminal will support ports of the Russian South Far East, and the warehousing accumulation and distribution center will provide high-tech integrated handling, storage, and distribution services for imports and exports with the biggest cities of the region.

Projects to create a specialized oil and oil products complex are being planned, and the Port of Vladivostok expects to handle about a million tons of oil-based cargoes per year and have capacity to store 41 thousand cubic meters.

Anticipating the 2012 APEC Summit, the Port of Vladivostok will rebuild its maritime passenger terminal to serve the expected passengers who will visit the port that year.

The City of Vladivostok is not a major tourist destination in itself. However, it is the terminals of the Trans-Siberian Railway and hosts many travelers who are beginning or ending their journeys in the Port of Vladivostok. It offers several attractions for visitors.

The Port of Vladivostok has a monsoon-influenced humid continental climate with bitterly-cold winters and warm summers. September is the most comfortable month of the year with sunshine and fair weather. Temperatures range from an average high of 23 °C (74 °F) in August to an average low of -17 °C (-1 °F) in January.

Visitors to the Port of Vladivostok will enjoy seeing Golden Horn Bay, the home of Russia's Pacific Fleet. At the water's edge, the city center has wide boulevards with ornate hundred-year-old buildings (that need cleaning and restoration). The hills around the bay are steep and support Soviet-style housing for residents.

Waterfront walks are popular with both residents and visitors, and you can see the Pacific Fleet anchored off the coast in Golden Horn Bay. While photographs are allowed, fines are not unusual. While you can't visit the ships of the fleet, you can tour the C-56 submarine, Korabelnaya nab. The interior is well-preserved, and visitors can explore the sub without supervision.

The Port of Vladivostok has several theaters. The Maxim Gorky Academic Theater hosts works by Russian and foreign playwrights, and performances are also offered at the Chamber Theater, the Pacific Navy Theatre, and the Puppet Show. The Philharmonic Society of Primorsky Krai has its own concert hall in an historic Port of Vladivostok building, and it hosts many famous musicians and actors.

The Port of Vladivostok's Museum for Primorsky Krai Regional Studies occupies several buildings downtown and contains exhibits on traditional aboriginal culture, the first settlers, and local extinct and endangered animals. Visitors can enjoy displays of stones, sea shells, coins, ship models, old books and photographs, and antique garments. Monuments throughout the Port of Vladivostok document the city's maritime history. Great day! 


Port Of West Sacramento, USA






The Port of West Sacramento is in the center of one of the world's richest agricultural regions. The Port of West Sacramento is an inland port about 146 kilometers northeast of the Port of San Francisco, and cargo ships get to the Port of West Sacramento by traveling through the San Francisco Bay and up the Sacramento River. The Port of West Sacramento exports bagged and bulk rice, cement, lumber, fertilizers, and project cargoes like wind generators.

The indigenous Maidu people inhabited the region around the Port of West Sacramento before Spanish explorer Pedro Fages arrived there in the 1770s and named the river for Christian religious sacraments.

The Port of West Sacramento became a hub of transportation on the river when John Sutter started a steamer service, and the Port of West Sacramento was a terminus for the Pony Express and the first railroad in California.

The original idea to create an inland port is credited to Major Paul Norboe in 1916. He began to advocate for a deep water channel and harbor with the State and the Sacramento Chamber of Commerce. In the early 1900s, the Sacramento River was dredged, giving ships seasonal access from the Port of West Sacramento to the Pacific Ocean.

In the 1930s, William Stone, the "Father of the Port," continued to push for a deep-water port to bolster the city's economy. He got the US Army Corps of Engineers to take a second look at the potential for a deep-water port, and they proposed to construct a 43-mile channel.

The project was approved by the US Congress in 1946, and the port district was created. Voters created the Sacramento-Yolo Port District, and the groundbreaking took place in 1949. The project was completed in 1960, making the Port of West Sacramento year-round deep-water port.

Friday, June 7, 2013

Port Of Acapulco, Mexico



On the west coast of Mexico, 300 miles south of Mexico City, a natural harbor is the setting for this beautiful city on the bay. This 4 mile stretch, lined by beaches and framed by mountains offers views that are nothing short of spectacular! Billed as Mexico’s first resort, during the 50’s and early 60’s, Acapulco was THE playground of the rich and famous. 

Pollution, over-commercialization and corruption tarnished its image and its popularity declined. In recent years Acapulco has experienced a resurgence, however, and it is once again becoming a popular destination for those who love late night dinners at fabulous restaurants, dancing until dawn at glitzy discos and lounging on sun-drenched beaches all day. Inhabited for thousands of years by Aztecs, Acapulco was originally the center of the fishing and trading industry. Who would have ever imagined it would become a flashy resort city that pulses with 24-7, non-stop energy.

Port of Acapulco is a popular cruise and non-cruise tourist destination. The port is the destination for tourists sailing between Panama and San Francisco and it offers a panoramic view of the beach with a somewhat circular bay where ships dock (even as early as the 16th century). The port is just walking distance away from the best sites in Acapulco which is known for busy nightlife fun (i.e. dancing and drinking). The port is a favorite of celebrities who love the cuisine, non-stop dancing and glittering hang outs. Considered as a sun and sand destination for great holidays, Acapulco offers activities that you will surely enjoy and will make you come back for more.

Saturday, May 4, 2013

Port Of Davao, Philippines



The Port of Davao is on the Philippines’ Mindanao Island at the mouth of the Davao River as it enters the Davao Gulf. Protected by Samal Island, Davao City is a regional center for Davao Region, although it is administratively independent of any province. It contains as many as 50 small commercial ports, and its major seaports are some of the busiest in the southern Philippines.

The Port of Davao is a deep-water facility at Sasa about eight kilometers northeast of Davao City’s port for smaller vessels at Santa Ana. The Port of Davao handles inter-island passengers and cargoes that include copra, maize, and rice. Its international export traffic is primarily abaca, the main agricultural product in the region. Davao City and the Port of Davao are becoming the main center for tourism, business, and investment in the southern Philippines. In 2000, over 1.1 million people lived in Davao City.


The Philippine Ports Authority (PPA), Port Management Office (PMO) Davao, is a government corporation responsible for funding, managing, and operating the country’s public ports. The organization’s charter also requires it to implement an integrated port system to promote maritime trade and to help transform the Philippines into an industrialized country.
In order to meet this goal, the PPA plans to modernize at least ten ports by the year 2010, improve port services, reduce client costs, integrate both community development and environmental protection into port development and operations, and provide a positive and productive working environment for port employees.

In 2007, more than 21.5 thousand vessels called at the Port of Davao, including 1760 foreign vessels. The Port of Davao handled almost 9 million tons of cargo in 2007, including 5.0 million tons of foreign cargo, 3.9 million tons of domestic cargo, and 64.4 thousand tons of transshipments. While the Port of Davao welcomed more than 105.9 thousand passengers in 2007, other government ports in Davao City handled 1.4 million passengers.

The Port of Davao handled 3.9 million tons of imports/inbound cargoes and 5.1 million tons of exports/outbound cargoes. Of the total 9 million tons of cargo moving through the port in 2007, containers accounted for 4.0 million tons, breakbulk cargoes were 3.1 million tons, and bulk cargoes were 1.8 million tons.

PMO Davao, the Port of Davao’s management office, considers Sasa Wharf to be its base port. Most commercial cargoes and passengers are handled about ten kilometers from the city center at Sasa Wharf. PMO Davao has regulatory responsibility for several municipal ports and 18 private ports within the Davao City metropolitan area. The Port of Davao has trade relationships with the ports of Hong Kong and Singapore and with countries that include China, Australia, the Middle East, Europe, and the United States.


Davao City and the Port of Davao do not suffer typhoons. The weather is balmy throughout the year, with no real dry or wet season. Temperatures range from 20°C (68°F) to 30°C (86°F). Many people in the Philippines believe that Davao City and the Port of Davao are the most crime-free areas in their country. The people and the police look after tourists.
Mount Apo is the tallest mountain in the Philippines, standing over 10 thousand feet above sea level. This volcanic peak covers 72.8 hectares and is covered with natural wonders. “Apo” means grandfather, and tribal legend says the mountain is god’s domain. Visitors to the Port of Davao’s Mt. Apo will find geysers, sulfur pillars, a steaming blue lake, three rivers with tall waterfalls that boom as they fall, and rainwater lakes.