BEIJING — China's waterway freight volume rose 5.2 percent year-on-year in the first quarter (Q1) of the year, data from the Ministry of Transport showed.

More than 1.93 billion tons of waterway cargo were transported in the period, according to the ministry.

In March alone, China's waterway freight volume stood at 683.17 million tons, said the ministry.

South China's Hainan province led the expansion among 31 provincial-level regions, reporting year-on-year growth of 25 percent in the first three months, followed by Central China's Hubei province and East China's Jiangsu province.