Gu Tian was a cargo ship located in Fujian’s Mawei, China. It was the world’s largest concrete ship when it was built in China in the 1970s. The vessel had a displacement of 5,773 tonnes and a length of 105.2 meters with a beam of 14.5 meters. The ship was abandoned and stranded ashore due to high operating costs.
The Gu Tian was abandoned shortly after her maiden voyage in 1974 and has since become a squatter camp and a tourist attraction in Fuzhou, the capital of Fujian Province in southeast China.
The demolition of the 3,000-ton concrete vessel began in November of 2012.
The cement ship was developed in the 1970s as a cheap alternative during China’s ‘culture revolution’ due to a lack of steel.
It was launched to usher in a new era in which China ruled the seas. However, following her maiden voyage in 1974, Communist officials realized that powering a concrete ship across the waterways was simply too expensive, and she was forced ashore and wrecked.
Gu Tian, when it was beached on the Mingjiang River for 40 years, became a squat for villagers and a modest tourist attraction. Fujian Ship Communications Vocational College used it as a training base as well.
Featured Image: Concrete ship YOGN 82
