The new terminal buildings at Shanghai's Wusongkou International Cruise Terminal cover a total of 55,000m2 (592,015 ft2) and allow the cruise port in Baoshan District to receive around 6 million passengers per year, more than double the number in 2017.
The dock of the terminal has also been extended to 1.6 km (1 mi) along Yangtze River, up from the original 770 metres, enabling 4 cruise liners of more than 150,000 tons to berth simultaneously at the port.
Following the expansion, the cruise terminal will be able to receive a total of 1,000 cruise ships per year, more than doubling the current capacity, Baoshan District government announced.
Wusongkou terminal is the top cruise liner port in Asia (by passenger volume). In 2016 it surpassed port of Barcelona to become the 4th most active passenger port in the world.
The district government launched the new expansion project in June 2015. The total investment was nearly 1 billion yuan (US$150 million).
Last year, Shanghai received nearly 3 million passengers and 466 cruise ships, accounting for nearly 60% of China’s total cruise passengers.
Following the opening of the new cruise terminals, the existing building, called “Oriental Eye” due to its round shape, will undergo a renovation and will be converted into a commercial complex with shopping and dining options for passengers.
The new terminal buildings, situated on either side of existing terminal, feature 3 stories to include space for security checks, customs, quarantine, duty-free shops and ticketing counters.