Sun Bo communicates with the vessel traffic management center of the Tianjin Maritime Safety Administration on a cargo ferry at Tianjin Port in Tianjin, north China, Feb. 4, 2026.
Sun Bo and Xu Qinping are both port pilots at Tianjin Port. A port pilot needs to be familiar not only with the port's navigation conditions, but also with vessel maneuvering skills. Working around the clock across navigation channels, berthing locations and anchorage grounds, they are responsible for the safe arrival and departure of ships at the port.
"When guiding the anchoring of a vessel weighing hundreds of thousands of tons, we must maneuver with centimeter-level precision," said Sun Bo. According to him, the most dangerous part is embarking from the anchorage, when a pilot must choose the right moment to climb up a soft ladder. A single moment of carelessness could lead to a fall into the sea. Moreover, port pilots work year-round without breaks, with the daily ship schedule dictating their routine.
Over his 22-year career, Sun Bo has piloted more than 4,500 vessels and also witnessed the rapid development of China's ports and foreign trade. (Xinhua/Zhao Zishuo)
Xu Qinping checks the navigation channel through a telescope on a cargo ferry at Tianjin Port in Tianjin, north China, Feb. 4, 2026. (Xinhua/Zhao Zishuo)
Xu Qinping prepares to return to a tugboat by a soft ladder after conducting his piloting work at Tianjin Port in Tianjin, north China, Feb. 4, 2026. (Xinhua/Zhao Zishuo)
Sun Bo (back) and Xu Qinping leave a ship to return to the dock after conducting their piloting work at Tianjin Port in Tianjin, north China, Feb. 4, 2026. (Xinhua/Zhao Zishuo)
Sun Bo (R) presents a spring couplet to a captain on a cargo ferry at Tianjin Port in Tianjin, north China, Feb. 4, 2026. (Xinhua/Zhao Zishuo)
Xu Qinping checks the navigation channel through a telescope on a cargo ferry at Tianjin Port in Tianjin, north China, Feb. 4, 2026. (Xinhua/Zhao Zishuo)
Sun Bo guides a cargo ferry to depart from Tianjin Port in Tianjin, north China, Feb. 4, 2026. (Xinhua/Zhao Zishuo)
Xu Qinping checks the movement of a cargo ferry through his cellphone at Tianjin Port in Tianjin, north China, Feb. 4, 2026. (Xinhua/Zhao Zishuo)
A cargo ship prepares to berth at the container dock of Tianjin Port in Tianjin, north China, Feb. 4, 2026. (Xinhua/Zhao Zishuo)
Sun Bo climbs up a soft ladder before conducting his piloting work at Tianjin Port in Tianjin, north China, Feb. 4, 2026. (Xinhua/Zhao Zishuo)
Sun Bo on a cargo ferry guides a tugboat at Tianjin Port in Tianjin, north China, Feb. 4, 2026. (Xinhua/Zhao Zishuo)
Sun Bo (R) communicates with a captain on a cargo ferry at Tianjin Port in Tianjin, north China, Feb. 4, 2026. (Xinhua/Zhao Zishuo)
