100-day Countdown to Opening Shanghai Sea World Is about to Set off a “New Wave”
The demand of urban residents for high-quality leisure and vacation is increasingly growing. As a new model to cope with fast-paced life, “micro vacation” is developing rapidly, opening up vast opportunities for cultural tourism business.
With the attributes of riverside business and cultural tourism business, Shanghai Sea World adopts the innovative “X + Business” philosophy of China Merchants Shekou Industrial Zone Holdings Co., Ltd. Subverting tradition, it will soon present Shanghai’s first flagship commercial complex integrating waterfront entertainment, shopping, and cruise culture to the public, so as to create the “super destination of urban micro vacation in 2024”.
On June 22, Shanghai Sea World celebrated the 100-day countdown to its opening, and Ding Li, deputy head of Baoshan District, and others participated in the event.
A 100-people parent-child orienteering competition was held on the spot, and the entry of a series of brands such as LAS DIVING and iGOSURFING was announced. Together with the project, these brands will join hands with the parks, squares and world-class cruise home ports along the riverside of Shanghai International Cruise Tourism Resort to jointly draw a brilliant and picturesque scene, ingeniously create the unique cruise-themed micro vacation experience, bring Shanghai a truly business landmark of micro vacation that “lives in harmony with marine resources”, and establish the first business resort that integrates cruise culture and waterfront leisure on the east coast of China, opening a new chapter on the coastline.
Activating the scarcity and synergy of regional cultural tourism resources based on water.
The essence of the successful operation and maintenance of cultural tourism business lies in grasping the harmony and unity of favorable climatic, geographical and human conditions, making good use of scarce resources and integrating wisdom and innovation. Whether the project can stand out depends on making full use of the advantages of regional resources, continuously promoting the innovation of operation strategies, subtly integrating culture and tourism elements in the market, and rejuvenating the unique value and synergy of regional cultural tourism resources.
In China, there are countless precious resources hidden on the vast coastline, but only a handful of ports can accommodate international cruise ships. From north to south, only 13 ports in China can meet this condition. Such scarcity undoubtedly coats coastal and cruise-themed businesses with unique charm and special value that cannot be replicated.
Shanghai Sea World is “accompanied” by Shanghai Wusongkou International Cruise Terminal, the largest cruise home port in Asia and the fourth largest in the world. As an important engine for the development of Shanghai’s cruise economy, Wusongkou International Cruise Terminal faces a golden waterfront with a length of about 1,600 meters and has the operating capacity to receive about 8 million tourists per year. It has witnessed the maiden voyage of “Adora Magic City” and the grand occasion where “Adora Magic City”, “Ms Westerdam”, “Piano Land” and “Blue Dream Star” berthed simultaneously. As of June 17, it has operated a total of 68 ships and received 556,300 tourists. Tourists received throughout the year will be over 1.5 million, accounting for more than 70% of those received by cruise ships in China.
From a bird’s-eye view on the map, Shanghai Sea World and Changxing Island are separated by the river. With convenient access to Chongming Island through Baoyang Road Wharf, Shanghai Sea World has a favorable geographical position. Located in the heart of Shanghai International Cruise Tourism Resort, it also enjoys a “superb” location with a golden coastline of about 6.8 kilometers between Changtan Concert Hall and Shanghai Museum of Navy.
The thriving and prosperous cultural tourism business in the district is inseparable from strong government planning and strategic guidance. Shanghai International Cruise Tourism Resort, leading the new trend of “urban micro vacation” and integrating culture, leisure and technology, is an upgraded “super destination”.
How to activate and promote the team power of “urban micro vacation” in the district? Some clues may be revealed in a series of activities jointly initiated by Shanghai Sea World, Shanghai Wusongkou Cultural Tourism Investment (Group) Co., Ltd. and related brands before the opening of the project.
◎ “Women’s 10-km Elite Competition in Gucun Park during Cherry Blossom Festival” in March: Complementing the Shanghai Cherry Blossom Festival, the track started from Gate No. 2 of Gucun Park and shuttled between gorgeous flowers such as cherry-plum hybrid, Kawazu-zakura, Prunus kanzakura, and Prunus campanulata, drawing a dreamy pink runway.
◎ “4+2 Urban Escape Plan” in April: An innovative “self-driving (four-wheeled) + cycling (two-wheeled)” mode encouraged the exploration of the fresh greenery on the edge of the city, enjoying the fun of spring outings.
◎ “Riverside Photography Exhibition” in May: Photos of the beautiful riverside scenery of Wusongkou International Cruise Terminal were collected, capturing the purity of the first rays of the morning sun, the tranquility of afternoon and the softness of dusk, and showcasing the unique moments in the resort.
◎ “Sea Wave Making Season” in June: It included activities such as “100-People Zumba Dance” and “100-People Parent-Child Orienteering Competition”; in particular, the parent-child orienteering competition at the 100-day countdown ceremony on June 22 highlighted the project’s “theme” of focusing on the customer group of parent-child families.
In addition, international sports events, environment-friendly beach cleaning actions and other activities along the riverside have fully leveraged the linkage of cultural tourism resources in the district, as well as the subdivision and IP branding of activities, demonstrating the cultural tourism characteristics and diverse strengths of the riverside area.
Unleashing the charm and vitality of the cruise-themed ocean scenes with ships as media.
The uniqueness of the theme, the core value of the brand and the substantive effectiveness of the product together constitute a golden triangle that attracts the target customers. Accurately targeting customers and tailoring the product design scheme accordingly is critical for the success of the project.
In order to realize the vision of becoming a “super destination”, each space needs to undergo an innovation, pursue diverse content and distinctiveness, and establish a self-iteration and sustainable growth mechanism, so as to ultimately evolve into a vibrant and continuously evolving experience resort.
As Shanghai’s first cruise-themed riverside business flagship, the architectural design and public space planning of Shanghai Sea World are elaborately integrated with ocean inspiration and modern way of life, heralding a blue revolution leading the lifestyle.
The project adopts the core design philosophy of “using ships as buildings and scenes as tides” and complements the adjacent Shanghai Wusongkou International Cruise Terminal brilliantly, creating a unique scenery on the waterfront. The streamlined shell exterior and exquisite chamfering process, combined with the ingenious connection of the four towers, show an elegant contour that descends from 100 meters to 80 meters, outlining the gentle waterfront skyline.
The facade adopts high-end glass curtain walls with oblique metal trims, not only enriching the visual effect, but also reflecting the sky like a mirror. It coexists harmoniously with the surroundings and looks like a giant ship moored quietly at Shanghai Wusongkou International Cruise Terminal from a distance.
The internal space, deeply merged with the natural beauty of the port shoreline and ingeniously integrated with ocean elements, carefully creates themed scenes according to the functional characteristics of different areas, artistically presenting the essence of the ocean in every corner and building a miniaturized and vivid sea world.
Three immersive ocean-themed scenes have been specially created:
◎ The “Haishi Story” passes through three floors with a 20-meter indoor waterfall, offering the dynamic esthetic sense and visual impact.
◎ Under the dome of the “Xinghai Paradise”, “ocean current” and “whale” dance together, creating a fantasy journey for all ages.
◎ The “Undersea Journey”, with the characteristic corridor designed like a submarine, is integrated with lighting and art, stimulating the desire for exploration.
These designs can not only bring visitors an extraordinary sensory experience, but also are full of fun and surprises of exploration in changing scenes, comprehensively constructing an immersive marine environment and significantly enhancing the unique charm and landmark identification of the project.
Today, the market is in a demand-driven transition, and the traditional supply model is gradually losing its advantages. Therefore, more attention must be paid to personalized services - “precise matching and on-demand creation”. This requires in-depth insight into consumer needs, going beyond broad market classifications and conducting more refined customer group analysis.
Shanghai Sea World precisely targets three major customer groups: residents in surrounding communities, business people and micro vacation tourists, focusing on the experience of parent-child families. The rich educational resources in the surrounding area perfectly fit with the serviced apartments with the theme of parent-child vacation in the project. The apartments combine parent-child interaction with high-quality accommodation, creating a series of ocean-themed spaces that are both educational and entertaining.
Focusing on parent-child families, the outdoor “Unpowered Paradise” is equipped with targeted play areas. With the interactive design of the original White Dolphin IP, it strengthens the storytelling and sense of participation, and provides safe and interesting play experiences for children of different ages, enhancing the positioning of Shanghai Sea World as a family-friendly destination for “micro vacation”.
Gathering four themed business forms and diversified characteristic anchor stores with joy as the focus.
Destination-oriented cultural tourism business is entering a new era of innovation and reshaping, and will face many “new” changes - new development situations, new urban orientations, new industrial trends, and new market demands.
Sailing from Shenzhen to Xiamen, and then to Shanghai, the “Sea World” product line of China Merchants Shekou Industrial Zone Holdings Co., Ltd. has steadily expanded its territory with its iconic brand spirit of “freedom, internationality and humanities”. Every time it settles in a city, it meticulously interprets local customs and cultural heritage.
As the third bright pearl of this product line, Shanghai Sea World closely meets the needs of regional characteristics and market segments, and has innovated and upgraded its business layout and brand portfolio. With the slogan “Happy Playground - Waves Around”, the project ingeniously integrates the riverside scenery, port style and community characteristics, and accurately meets the “novel, fashionable and fun” life attitude pursued by young consumer groups. Through the three characteristic sections of “Trendy Play Gathering Ground, Aerial Art Corridor, and Rooftop Ecological Elegance”, it builds four themed business forms of “Immersive Entertainment Station, Trendy Sports Lab, Pets’ Social Camp, and Global Food Court”, leading the future trend of the consumption scene.
Here, a multi-dimensional entertainment space station integrating large-scale murder mystery game, immersive theater, and VR experience is waiting to set sail, presenting a cross-border sensory feast for tourists.
The Trendy Sports Lab brings together extreme sports and leisure activities such as surfing, skiing, diving, rock climbing, skateboarding, and archery, providing a one-stop experience platform for people who pursue a sporty life.
The Pets’ Social Camp is not only a paradise for pets that is equipped with professional sports areas and beauty services, but also has characteristic pet cafes, convenient hotels, and supermarkets and clinics, building an ecosystem of pet life services.
The Global Food Court, like a global culinary journey, offers a selection of Japanese cuisine, Korean barbecue, Southeast Asian cuisine, Sichuan cuisine, Shanghai local cuisine, northeastern Chinese cuisine and other international delicacies to satisfy even the most discerning taste explorers.
At the 100-day countdown ceremony of the project, a series of highlighted anchor stores were unveiled in advance, covering recreation, ice and snow world, sea-view tearoom, pet paradise, natural zoo, trendy recreation ground, CS arena, maze exploration area and other special types, heralding an all-round leisure and entertainment feast.
Making innovations in the concept and model of co-growth with the city with the “X + Business” as the driving force.
The “Sea World” product line of China Merchants Shekou Industrial Zone Holdings Co., Ltd., with its excellent geographical position, diversified business forms, profound cultural and artistic heritage, forward-looking design thinking, and adherence to the philosophy of sustainable development, not only greatly enhances the business value of the area where it is located, but also incarnates a strong driving force for the evolution of urban cultural life, setting a model standard for the innovation of urban complexes.
Shanghai Sea World, as the brand-new flagship of China Merchants Shekou Industrial Zone Holdings Co., Ltd. in terms of the business strategy, pioneers the introduction of the concept of a cruise-themed riverside commercial complex in Shanghai, practicing the innovative model of “X + Business” and injecting fresh vitality and trendy interest into Baoshan District through “cruise + business”, “hotel + business”, “sports + business”, “art + business” and other types of cross-border integration.
This project has set a new direction for urban waterfront cultural tourism business after its implementation. It will form a superior experience center integrating cultural tourism, micro vacation and daily consumption, provide a three-dimensional waterfront life mode mixed with shopping, recreation, office, travel and other functions, and resonate with Shanghai’s booming cruise economy, jointly activating and defining the new dimension and new value of Shanghai’s urban life.
Regionally, from the steady start in Baoshan China Merchants Garden City, to the brilliant bloom of Shanghai Sea World, and to the forward-looking layout of Beicheng China Merchants Garden City X in the future, the intensive cultivation by China Merchants Shekou Industrial Zone Holdings Co., Ltd. in Baoshan District has demonstrated its determination and strength to deepen regional influence through the diversified layout of product lines.
Baoshan District, connecting the river and the sea, is making every effort to promote the “northward transformation” in accordance with the overall planning of Great Wusong as the “Gate of Shanghai at the Confluence of Three Rivers”, actively building the core functional area of an international science and technology innovation center and a high-quality world-class waterfront city, while focusing on leisure and entertainment needs of tourists and crew of cruise ships, so as to accelerate the construction of Shanghai International Cruise Tourism Resort. The function and environmental quality improvement project of the cruise riverside belt has also entered the sprint stage. The cruise riverside belt will be opened and upgraded with a new look on September 30, creating a new urban landmark with better experience and satisfaction.
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