International tourists onboard the cruise ship Silver Dawn are greeted with lion dance, martial arts performances and intangible cultural heritage experiences right after they land in Shanghai on Jan 8. Silver Dawn, operated by Silversea Cruises, became the first international cruise ship to visit Shanghai this year. [Photo by Gao Erqiang/chinadaily.com.cn]
Silver Dawn, operated by Silversea Cruises, became the first international cruise ship to visit Shanghai this year, arriving at the Shanghai Port International Cruise Terminal at the North Bund in Hongkou district on Jan 8.
More than 400 tourists from the US, Australia, Canada, Switzerland, the UK, and other countries embarked from there on a two-day sightseeing trip around the city. They were welcomed with lion dance, martial arts performances and intangible cultural heritage experiences right after they landed.
Hanno Krause from Germany was impressed by the welcoming ceremony as well as the city.
"I have been here before for business, so this trip is for pleasure. And I have more time to see things that I have never seen before. It's very interesting to see Shanghai from a different point view. I am impressed by the speed of the development of the city. Unbelievable."
International tourists onboard the cruise ship Silver Dawn are greeted with lion dance, martial arts performances and intangible cultural heritage experiences right after they land in Shanghai on Jan 8. Silver Dawn, operated by Silversea Cruises, became the first international cruise ship to visit Shanghai this year. [Photo by Gao Erqiang/chinadaily.com.cn]
The tourists will choose from seven routes to explore the city, which will take them to the Yuyuan Garden, the Shanghai Museum, a walk on the Bund, and a ride on the Maglev train.
The cruise ship set out from Singapore on Dec 22, 2024, and is scheduled to conclude the voyage on Jan 12 in Tokyo, Japan.
This year altogether 18 cruise ships are expected to visit Shanghai, 14 of which will be received by China Coastline Tours. According to Tang Ming, chairman of China Coastline Tours, his company welcomed about 14,000 inbound tourists from cruise ships last year, and this year the number is expected to rise by 20 to 30 percent.
Contact the writer at zhangkun@chinadaily.com.cn
