China's largest solar-powered yacht set out on a mini maiden voyage on Wednesday at the Summer Palace where it will be commercially operated, reports Beijing Evening News.

The 12-metre-long boat, featuring a traditional Chinese architectural structure on the deck, cost the municipal solar power research institute 600,000 yuan (US$72,000) to build.

While there are some solar-powered boats in the country already, they can usually only hold a few passengers at a time. But the "Sangpu" can accommodate up to 30 people, said the researchers.

Construction of the boat, which can cruise at eight kilometres an hour, was funded by the municipal government for the 2008 Olympics.

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