Construction has begun on two container ships, which are expected to become the largest in service in the upper and middle reaches of the Yangtze River.

With a total investment of 300 million yuan (47 million U.S. dollars), the 147-meter-long, 26-meter-wide vessels are designed to each carry a maximum of 1,140 standard containers.

The shipment capacity of each new ship doubles that of existing vessels, while their daily fuel consumption will be 20 percent less.