WUHAN, Jan. 18 (Xinhua) -- A high-end river-cruise ship set out on its maiden voyage in Wuhan, capital of central China's Hubei Province, on Tuesday, providing a new option for tourism along the Yangtze River.

The ship named "Changjiang No.3" will travel from Wuhan to southwest China's Chongqing, a journey that will last nine days.

Designed and funded by China Yangtze Shipping Group, Changjiang No.3 is about 150 meters long, 23 meters wide, and has a design speed of 25 kilometers per hour. The ship has a maximum passenger capacity of 600 people.

It is equipped with an intelligent energy-efficiency management system, a panoramic image and video collision-avoidance system and a hotel management system.

"It represents the highest level of smart technology in cruise ships along the Yangtze River," said Zhang Rui, chairman of the group.

It is also the first cruise ship along the Yangtze River to be built in China following the outbreak of COVID-19.