The Zhoushan archipelago in the Zhejiang province lies strategically at the junction of China’s Eastern Sea and borders the Yangtze River.

The Zhoushan Archipelago International Cruise Port (ZAICP) project has completed its Phase 1 development, reclaiming land from the sea and building a berth for megaships. Total investment to date is reported at around $74 million.

A ZAICP spokesperson told Cruise Industry News that the port is a key component in upgrading Zhoushan’s tourism industry.

“The State Department’s development plan for Zhoushan specifically wants us to develop our cruise economy, allowing international cruises to stop in Zhoushan,” they said.

Zhoushan could become the perfect compliment port for Shanghai, as the area is just four hours by car and two hours by away from China’s most cosmopolitan city.

There were 11 turnaround calls this summer, including the Chinese Taishan and SkySea’s Golden Era.

In 2015 Zhoushan expects 20,000 passengers and is claiming to target 300,000 by 2017 and 600,000 by 2020. When the port reaches these kind of numbers, the plan calls for a large scale development, which will include entertainment venues, a yacht marina and some residences.

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The 10th edition of the China Cruise Shipping and International Expo is the Asia/Pacific’s No. 1 cruise event, learn more at http://www.ccyia.com/. The show takes place Oct. 13-15 in Shanghai, October.

Read a detailed analysis of the Chinese cruise market Cruise Industry News Fall/October 2015 Quarterly Magazine, due out October 13.

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