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An aerial drone photo taken on May 16, 2025 shows a container ship in Chancay Port in Chancay, Peru. [Photo/Xinhua]
More than 500 years ago, the legendary Inca Trail stretched from Cusco across the Andes, linking far-flung territories and fostering political, economic, and cultural integration across the vast Inca Empire. Today, on Peru's Pacific coast, Chancay Port is becoming a starting point of an Inca Trail of the New Era -- a maritime gateway linking Latin America with Asia.
In the first five months of 2025 alone, trade through the Chancay Multipurpose Port Terminal surpassed 777 million U.S. dollars. Peru's President Dina Boluarte said in June that the project is expected to lift GDP by 1.8 percentage points -- roughly 4.5 billion dollars -- and create some 7,000 jobs.
As a 21st-century smart port, Chancay Port is deepening cooperation between China and Latin America, advancing connectivity and shared prosperity across continents.
From sacred path to smart port
In the 15th century, the Inca Empire extended across much of South America, encompassing territories that today make up Peru, Colombia, Ecuador, Bolivia, Chile and Argentina. At the heart of this vast realm was the Qhapaq Nan, or "sacred path" -- a sprawling network of stone roads that linked the empire's four regions and connected its capital, Cusco, with distant frontiers.
"These routes already existed before the Inca expansion," said Rafael Varon Gabai, director of Peru's National Museum of Archaeology, Anthropology, and History. "But they were integrated and perfected with bridges and infrastructure that enabled trade, communication and cultural exchange." In 2014, the Qhapaq Nan was recognized as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a testament to its enduring legacy.
North of Lima, the city of Chancay echoes Peru's rich history. Between 1100 and 1400 AD, the Chancay civilization thrived along this stretch of coast, developing sophisticated agricultural systems and urban settlements in the Chancay and Chillon valleys.
Today, the ancient landscape is experiencing a new transformation. The construction of the Port of Chancay, launched in 2021, is creating a maritime gateway to Asia and beyond, revitalizing the city's economy and strategic significance.
"Until recently, large-scale industrial or commercial activity was practically nonexistent," said Nilo Miranda, president of the Chancay Chamber of Commerce, Industries and Tourism.
He hopes the city of Chancay will seize this historic opportunity to become the "Andean pearl" of the new era, just as the Oriental Pearl Tower came to symbolize Shanghai's rise.
This Pacific-facing port is more than an infrastructure project -- it stands as a modern echo of the ancient sacred paths. Extending the ancient Inca spirit of connection into the 21st century, Chancay is forging a new land-sea corridor across the Pacific, linking Latin America with Asia and heralding a new chapter of shared prosperity.
A new corridor across Pacific
The new maritime route has shortened Asia-bound shipping times from 33 days to just 23. "Since the inauguration of the Port of Chancay, we have been receiving an average of 400 containers per month from China," said Mayra Huillca, coordinator of the foreign trade department at Indurama, a company that imports Chinese-made home appliances for the Latin American market. "Currently, we sell 50 percent more than before."
A staff member monitors the operation of Chancay Port in the operation center of COSCO Shipping Ports Chancay Peru, in Chancay, Peru, May 16, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
Neighboring countries are also reaping benefits. Ecuador's banana exports to China jumped 45.56 percent in the first five months of 2025, according to the Ecuadorian Banana Marketing and Export Association (Acorbanec).
"The logistics aspect greatly helps Ecuadorian banana exports," said Acorbanec CEO Richard Salazar. "The presence of COSCO Shipping Lines has also made the route faster and more direct."
Where the ancient Inca Trail once connected much of South America by land, the Port of Chancay is forging a broader, modern land-sea corridor between Asia and Latin America.
Unlike the old imperial roads, which served mostly the elite, the Chancay Port is designed to benefit broader populations -- creating jobs, speeding trade, and positioning Peru as a regional logistics hub.
"This port, in my view, represents the renewal of the Inca Trail," said Luis Vasquez, president of the Foundation for the Development of Science and Culture at the National University of San Marcos in Lima.
Living heritage
Once a key site in the Inca Empire, Chancay's legacy now converges with 21st-century innovation.
Since its launch in 2021, Chancay Port has become Latin America's first green, smart port, operating 24/7 with automated gantry cranes, low-carbon vehicles and real-time AI-driven logistics. Fully powered by clean energy, it ensures sustainable, carbon-free operations.
"We're improving efficiency, safety and emergency response as we evolve towards a modern, sustainable model," said He Bo, executive deputy general manager of COSCO Shipping Ports Chancay Peru.
But the port's impact extends beyond cutting-edge technology to serve as a powerful engine for economic growth. During a recent visit to the site, Xinhua journalists observed young, skilled workers operating robotic arms and managing automated systems -- a vivid sign of the country's growing role in high-tech logistics. Chancay has evolved from a historical site into an emerging symbol of modern development.
"Shipping lines, commercial vision and connectivity open up an enormous range of possibilities for trade and development," said Gonzalo Rios Polastri, deputy general manager of COSCO Shipping Ports Chancay Peru.
Gonzalo Rios Polastri, deputy general manager of COSCO Shipping Ports Chancay Peru, speaks during an interview with Xinhua in Chancay, Peru, June 17, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua]
Stronger bonds across cultures
Beyond trade, Chancay Port is also a bridge of cultural exchange.
"In Peru, Chinese people are often affectionately called paisanos," said Varon. Peru's Congress has even declared Feb. 1 as Peru-China Fraternity Day.
Chinese-Peruvian fusion restaurants, known as "chifas," are a hallmark of Peru's urban landscape. "Half of the port workers come from the Chancay area," said Rios. "Many young locals, after training, have become skilled operators of smart equipment."
Peruvian and Chinese employees work side-by-side, with relationships forged outside of work. "Many Chinese staff already consider Peru their second home," Rios added.
In 2024, Cusco's Inka Museum hosted Sunlight: Cultural Exchange Exhibition between the Ancient Shu and Inca Civilizations, receiving nearly 8,000 visitors.
"For the first time, Chinese artifacts arrived in Cusco and were displayed alongside Inca relics," said Julinho Zapata, the museum's director. "The artifacts communicated with each other."
"It was truly transcendental," added Eleazar Crucinta, rector of the National University of San Antonio Abad in Cusco. "People finally saw Chinese culture not in books or images, but in person."
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