The construction of the Nantong Langshan International Cruise Port in China began on June 25, marking the launch of a new lower-Yangtze homeport project co-developed by China Merchants Shekou and local Nantong authorities.

The port is positioned at the intersection of the Yangtze River’s golden waterway and planned ocean-going cruise itineraries. It is designed to connect inland river tourism with international ocean routes.

The construction aligns with Chinese investment in cruise homeport infrastructure beyond Shanghai and Tianjin, where a large majority of the traffic is concentrated.

According to project disclosures, the port will include multi-berth capacity for ocean-going cruise ships, with supporting terminal, customs and immigration clearance facilities, as well as waterfront urban renewal components.

The development has been framed as a dual-track initiative: a “cruise industry ecosystem”​ anchored by the terminal itself, and a waterfront urban regeneration​ program for the Langshan riverside area, which sits on the southern edge of Nantong’s main urban district, facing the Yangtze.

The project is listed as a Nantong “15th Five-Year Plan” key project, with supporting road, parking and tourist-service infrastructure simultaneously being advanced.

Nantong is approximately 100 kilometers northwest of the Shanghai Wusongkou terminal.

Despite Wusongkou being China’s busiest cruise homeport and Tianjin the northern anchor, the lower-Yangtze stretch between Shanghai and Nantong has historically lacked a purpose-built cruise gateway.

The Langshan project is intended to capture the gap and will acts as a dedicated berth for ocean-going cruise ships as well as larger river cruise vessels.

The timeline for the first calls remain subject to construction and regulatory milestones.