Cruise economy is the new industrial direction that Baoshan District has anchored in its transformation, upgrading, and structural adjustment. However, transformation is not an easy task. Due to the lack of distinctive and attractive supporting facilities in the surrounding area, the district was once stuck in "pass-by economy."

At the end of September, Baoshan Riverside underwent comprehensive renewal and upgrading, not only offering more than 600 high-quality guest rooms, but also injecting diverse cultural and tourism business formats at multiple levels. This enriches the interpretations of cruise culture and contributes to the establishment of Shanghai International Cruise Tourism Resort that attracts citizens and tourists from near and far.

Stretching several kilometers, "Shanghai's most beautiful leisure cycling route along the Yangtze River" was completed and opened. On one side is the magnificent view of the confluence of rivers and seas, and on the other side is the Changtan Concert Hall. As citizens and tourists ride against the wind, they can experience the enduring friendship between those who live at different ends of the Yangtze River.

Transformation: The old wharf yard has transformed into Asia's largest cruise home port.

The international cruise ship "Diamond Princess" docks at the cruise terminal, carrying more than 2,000 tourists.

Over a decade ago, the roll-on/roll-off ship terminal was rebuilt into the Shanghai Wusongkou International Cruise Terminal. Since then, a world-class cruise home port has gradually set sail at Wusongkou.

At that time, Waigaoqiao Port at the mouth of the Yangtze River and Yangshan Port extending into the East China Sea were successively completed and put into operation. Shanghai Port's container business has moved from the river era to the ocean era. During this period, Wusongkou was gradually falling behind its counterparts in the field of container freight, and it was imperative to find a differentiated route.

The vision of Shanghai Wusongkou International Cruise Terminal opened up a new development perspective for Wusongkou. Taking the construction of the cruise terminal as an opportunity, Shanghai Port took the lead in shifting its service focus from goods to passengers, creating new highlights for economic growth.

Reflecting on the past, many industry participants believe that the Shanghai Wusongkou International Cruise Terminal has promoted and led the development of the cruise industry in China for a "golden decade". Over the past ten years, the international cruise terminal has grown from scratch, with the number of cruise ships and the scale of passengers rising year after year.

By seizing the market development trends and the industrial window period, Shanghai Wusongkou International Cruise Terminal has grown rapidly and set numerous records. From the highest number of international tourists entering China on a single ship to the daily supervision business volume of materials on a single ship, the constantly updated numbers mark the development course of "Asia's largest cruise home terminal". Since this year, the terminal has continuously created many "firsts". The first domestic cruise ship "Adora Magic City" made its maiden voyage. After hardware upgrading, "four ships docked at the same time" for the first time... A new cultural and tourism landmark with international cruise characteristics and a strong identity as a maritime gateway has taken shape.

Upgrading: "Cruise culture" connects with the "ticket stub economy."

Moving towards the "second golden decade" at a faster pace, the competition arena for the cruise industry has quietly shifted from water to the shore.

Tourists who have already experienced cruises have higher expectations for service quality. They no longer seek the experience of "floating on the sea" only or enjoyable one-stop eating, shopping and touring. They also expect that the shore excursions to offer more than just "shopping."

Featured experience projects attract not only fans in a vertical field. In her view, today's cultural and tourism consumption model is gradually changing, and consumers are increasingly seeking the satisfaction of emotional value. Although diving seems like a niche activity, it can trigger novel and interesting cultural and tourism experiences for tourists and reveal wonderful shore excursions.

The arrival of large-scale water sports events is also expected to allow more tourists to experience cruise tours from multiple perspectives. After a 20-year hiatus, the international top-level sports event once held on the Huangpu River returned to Shanghai during this year's National Day holiday. The F1H2O World Championship Grand Prix of Shanghai, China 2024 was held at Shanghai Wusongkou International Cruise Terminal in Baoshan District and was televised to more than 100 countries and regions worldwide.

Before the opening of Cordis Hotel, the senior vice president and chairman of Asia of Royal Caribbean Group inspected the venue in advance for the upcoming Wusongkou Forum in November this year. In the conference hall that can accommodate hundreds of people, he remarked, "The shore-side supporting facilities of the Shanghai Wusongkou International Cruise Terminal are now on par with those of world-class ports." In his view, there are still many untapped consumer demands in the cruise industry. For example, how cruise ship crew members can enrich their experience during the brief hours when they are ashore. Another example is the supporting needs for large-scale international cruise conferences. Many newly completed supporting facilities at the Shanghai Wusongkou International Cruise Terminal have taken these demands into consideration, and are expected to stimulate more new growth opportunities in the cruise industry.

Linkage: Enhancing the development level of the area.

Recently, the Baoshan Riverside Committee is considering opening a tourist route in the Shanghai International Cruise Tourism Resort, shuttling between the cruise terminal and the Hongqiao Hub to better receive and serve the customers from the Yangtze River Delta. What's special about this tourist route is that it not promoted by administrative forces but rather by private enterprises who have keenly sensed the development needs of the cruise industrial chain and invested in its construction at their own expense. "In the continuous expansion of cruise cultural and tourism consumption scenarios, business entities can gradually find their own entry points and growth points," said a person in charge of "Shanghai Sea World".

The concept of opening-up and linkage is also vividly reflected in the development and governance of the shoreline of Baoshan Riverside.

"Shanghai's most beautiful leisure cycling route along the Yangtze River" has become famous in the cycling community before its completion. On one side is the convergence of rivers and seas, and on the other side is the modern city. The unique and rich cycling experience has attracted many enthusiasts. For urban managers, however, for the nearly 6-kilometer-long riverside, the construction, operation and maintenance of supporting facilities are all challenges.

This requires giving full play to the synergy between "the government and the market" for co-governance and sharing. A non-powered amusement park adjacent to the riverside is a vivid case. It is spontaneously funded and constructed by surrounding enterprises and is open to the general public free of charge. Enterprises not only build their own supporting facilities but also need to invest a lot of manpower and material resources in operation and maintenance management.

Why are enterprises willing to engage in what seems like a loss-making business? A relevant person in charge of the Baoshan Riverside Committee explained that as part of the renewal and upgrading of the riverside shoreline, they have introduced the concept of region. This means that management responsibilities are not strictly divided according to port area boundaries; instead, a mode of co-construction and co-governance between the government and the market is adopted to allow all parties to perform their respective duties and operate efficiently. Enterprises are not calculating whether a single project such as a non-powered amusement park can make a profit, but rather considering the big picture and long-term benefits. Through the connection and link of supporting facilities, a large number of passengers are expected to be diverted from the riverside shoreline to the hinterland, driving and enhancing the development level of the entire region.

The Baoshan International Folk Art Exhibition Hall is currently the only cultural and art venue in China that showcases folk art and folk culture of countries and ethnic groups around the world. It is a public cultural facility integrating such functions as collection and display, interaction and exchange, inheritance and research, and social services.

China 3D Printing Cultural Museum

The China 3D Printing Cultural Museum is the first museum in China themed on additive manufacturing (3D printing) and 3D culture, with a construction area of 5,000 square meters. It was formerly a warehouse site for a textile factory. In the renovation design of the museum, the old building's delivery chute was retained, integrating history with innovation.

Shanghai Ceramic S&T Art Museum