A ship carrying exports including 564 cars and some auto parts departed on Monday from Chenglingji Port, in the city of Yueyang, Hunan Province, bound for the Russian port of Vladivostok, marking the launch of Hunan's first direct shipping route to Russia.

The new route is also the province's second direct shipping route for the import and export of goods. The outbound voyage takes about 10 days while the return journey takes 12 days, saving about five days and 40 percent of the cost each trip, compared to previous trips that involved transfers at Shanghai Port.

With abundant import and export demand, the new shipping service is expected to post an annual cargo throughput of 50,000 tonnes, while further promoting Hunan's economic and trade exchanges with countries along the Belt and Road, said the operating company behind the maiden voyage.