travel to Beijing, China from NY, NY via boat?

Which way would be shorter by boat?
New York, New York to Beijing via

1. West through the Panama Canal
2. East through the Mediterranian Sea and through the Suez Canal
3. Both basically equal-distant
Granted I just picked Beijing because it was the first city in China that came to mind...I'm reading the book "The Teahouse Fire" and they made their way from NY to China via Suez; Panama was not "built" yet by the timeline of the book.

It's a "just wondering" question.
You could make it Japan or whatever..just wondering. One of those quite nites with nothing to do. =}

Beijing is inland and does not have a port. Nearest port in Tianjin, about 120Km east of Beijing.

There are some cruise ship going there once in a while, but you will have to fly to a pickup point, which could be in Japan or Korea.

Another option are commercial liners on that route. Some take passengers and there are special travel agents were you can book such tours on bulk carriers and container vessels.

Whatever you chose, be aware that the coat will be WAY higher then simply flying there.

More information: the search term you want to use on google is: "freighter travel". Below is a freighter travel FAQ.

It's is possible to go to Tianjin on a commercial vessel if you are flexible with your time!

OK, by the time you find a ship who can take you there, I'm sure the Chinese will have completed the canal linking Beijing to the sea....They haven't started, by the way...I'm not sure if someone has thought about that yet, but if not, I'm a consultant and I can start on the project anytime...

The best route is the Northwest Passage. With global warming having an effect on ice, year-round shipping across the Arctic route will become a reality in a decade or so. Thank you Imperial, Exxon, Shell, Conoco-Phillips and other fossil-fuel giants for giving us some badly needed balmy weather in the Arctic...Too bad for the Inuit who rely on the resources of the sea to survive...