Chongqing — Developed in a mountainous county in inland China, a tourist submersible has passed final tests and is set for global seaside deployment, highlighting a rare high-end marine breakthrough beyond the coast.

The four-passenger sightseeing submersible Jiaozi recently completed final trials at Shuanglong Lake in the Three Gorges hinterland, reaching a depth of 23 meters, ahead of commercial deployment at tourist sites in China and overseas, including Bali.

Designed and built by Chongqing Kunlian Machinery Manufacturing Co., Ltd, a local technology firm in Wushan County, Chongqing, the submersible reflects China's push to move beyond traditional manufacturing into more sophisticated equipment with global applications.

During testing, the submersible operated steadily underwater. It is equipped with an automatic ascent mechanism that activates upon reaching preset depth limits, providing a built-in safety safeguard. The lake's depth, averaging more than 15 metres and reaching up to 50 metres, offers conditions similar to those found in real operating environments.

Although designed for leisure tourism rather than deep-sea exploration, Jiaozi meets industrial-grade technical standards. It can withstand pressure equivalent to depths of 200 metres and features multiple safety systems, including automatic obstacle avoidance, allowing passengers with no professional diving experience to safely explore underwater scenery.

The project's progress has drawn particular attention. The company has already delivered submersibles to more than a dozen tourist destinations, including sites in Chongqing, Sanya, and Bali. It has also signed a contract with Indonesian partners for 100 units, valued at about 100 million yuan (about 14 million U.S. dollars). 

Following final calibration at Shuanglong Lake, the company said additional submersibles will be shipped to overseas destinations in the coming months for commercial operation.