VESSEL REVIEW | Guqin – Large sightseeing and private events vessel for Yangtze River sailings

China's the Wuhan Cultural Tourism Group has taken delivery of a new sightseeing vessel built by local shipbuilder the Wuchang Shipbuilding Industry Group.

Guqin (古琴) will be operated along the Yangtze River, primarily in the portions of the river near the city of Wuhan. Construction was completed in compliance to China Classification Society (CCS) rules.

Capable of hosting sightseeing and other activities

The vessel has a steel single-deck, double-side structure, an LOA of 119.8 metres (393 feet), a beam of 21.8 metres (71.5 feet), a draught of 2.7 metres (8.85 feet) at full load, a depth of 4.9 metres (16 feet), and a gross tonnage of 9,737. A maximum of 1,500 guests can be accommodated across three decks covering a total area of 5,000 square metres (53,819 square feet) during sightseeing excursions whereas the onboard facilities will be adequate for 600 people when the vessel is used for hosting private events.

The first two decks are fitted with panoramic floor-to-ceiling windows consisting of nearly 1,000 glass panels to provide a full 360 degrees of visibility even from inside the vessel. CCS said it is the first Yangtze River sightseeing vessel to have this particular type of panoramic window installation.

The bow has a prominent irregular polyhedral shape with external lights lining the window frames to illuminate the interior spaces from outside, thus making them ideal venues for on-water events during nighttime. This design element was chosen to give the vessel the appearance of a diamond.

Both the interior spaces and the open sun deck can accommodate a variety of events such as private banquets, corporate launches, and live performances in addition to sightseeing excursions.

Elegant interiors

The interiors are fully furnished with spiral staircases, chandeliers, atmosphere light strips, and spotlights. Within the upper deck banquet hall is ample space for accommodating 45 round tables with 10 seats each. A new type of composite aluminium honeycomb paneling to help reduce overall displacement.

The upper deck also has 10 conference/dining rooms including a room situated forward where the panoramic windows provide guests with a 270-degree view. The third deck where the sun deck is also located has its own bar and an al fresco dining area.

The onboard kitchen facilities were incorporated to offer a broader selection of dining options for guests. The main deck has a kitchen that serves traditional Chinese meals while the second deck has a kitchen that specialises in western cuisine.

The vessel's propulsion system delivers a service speed of 9.7 knots and a range of 500 kilometres.

Guqin will operate alongside Zhiyin, an earlier vessel also owned by the Wuhan Cultural Tourism Group, on both daytime and nighttime cruises of the Yangtze River. Zhiyin offers more in terms of live performances whereas Guqin will be focused on providing guests with unique dining experiences.

The newer Guqin also boasts greater overall floor space as well as greater endurance compared to Zhiyin.