With the opening of an international cruise liner terminal today
the east China metropolis of Shanghai took a big leap forward with
its desire to become a global shipping port.
The 130,000-square-meter Shanghai Port International Cruise
Terminal, which is not yet quite complete, is located on the banks
of the Huangpu River in the city's Hongkou district.
The terminal includes a 880-meter-long wharf which can berth
three passenger liners of 70,000 to 80,000 tons at the same time.
The wharf was designed with an annual throughput capacity of one
million people.
The development is much more than just an ordinary wharf. It'll
become a new area for cruise business with zones dedicated to
entertainment, shopping and dining. .
The project also includes a building for departing and arriving
passengers, the headquarters of the Shanghai International Port
Group (SIPG), many other supporting facilities and a green open
space of 90,000 square meters.
A 1,000-passenger cruise liner operated by Italian company Costa
was the first vessel to dock at the new terminal and it'll become
the ship's home port. The vessel, named Costa Allegra, sets off
today on a fully-booked five day round trip to South Korea and
Japan.
A grand ceremony was held yesterday evening to celebrate the
ship's first journey on the Huangpu River.
Construction of the terminal started in January 2004. The whole
project is scheduled to be completed in 2007 and be fully
operational in 2008.
"We have drawn a great blueprint for the development of
Shanghai's cruise tourism industry and the terminal will transform
the northern bank of the Huangpu River into another commercial area
similar to Lujiazui in Pudong," said Lu Haiku, president of SIPG,
the project's main developer.
(China Daily July 3, 2006)
