Liverbird of Suzhou narrow boat completes its journey to the east

27 Jul 2016

A narrow boat, given to Xi��an Jiaotong-�鶹�� University by the University of �鶹�� to mark XJTLU��s 10th anniversary, has been officially unveiled in Suzhou.

The ��Liverbird of Suzhou�� is a small version of a traditional British narrow boat and was christened by representatives of XJTLU and the University of �鶹�� during a ceremony at Suzhou��s Jinji Lake.

Over the course of a month, the boat was transported by sea from �鶹�� to Shanghai, a journey of more than 9,000 kilometres, before being brought by lorry to Suzhou. It has been moored on Suzhou��s Jinji Lake to show its significance to Suzhou Industrial Park.

Professor Janet Beer, vice-chancellor of the University of �鶹��, said the gift was a celebration of �鶹�� and China��s shared maritime history and an ��important symbol of our shared prosperity��.

��I��m delighted that the boat will be permanently moored here in Suzhou, serving as a reminder of 10 years of collaboration, friendship, and the provision of international opportunities for our students,�� she said.