Shanghai poised for exciting tourism developments

Shanghai is conducting a number of major exciting tourism projects, ranging from amusement parks to museums and a skyrail across the Huangpu River, a radio show was told on Tuesday.

The Zootopia-themed land under construction at Shanghai Disney Resort is expected to open to the public this year, and construction of the Lego Theme Park Resort in Jinshan District is proceeding smoothly and is scheduled to open next year, according to Fang Shizhong, director general of the Shanghai Administration of Culture and Tourism.

Construction of a skyrail across the Huangpu River is expected to officially start soon.

The air corridor called "Heart of Huangpu River" would link the West Bund Financial Hub in Xuhui District with World Expo Park in the Pudong New Area, promising enchanting views of the "mother river" and skylines from the air.

The east branch of the Shanghai Museum in Pudong will open to the public this year and exhibit artifacts from the Sanxingdui Ruins in southwest China's Sichuan Province, showcasing the ancient Shu Kingdom's Sanxingdui and Jinsha cultures.

Moreover, the museum's north branch in Yangpu District would be turned into a venue displaying the archeological findings of Yangtze River Estuary No. 2 Ancient Vessel, a wooden sailing boat built around 1862-1875 during the reign of Qing Dynasty Emperor Tongzhi.

After more than 150 years buried underwater in the mud in the Yangtze River Estuary and seven years of underwater archeological investigation, the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) sand-trading boat was raised and transported to the dock in Yangpu last year with archeological studies under way.

Meanwhile, cruise tours on Suzhou Creek will be made more pleasant with efforts under way to increase the capacity of the ships, expand routes and improve signage, Fang said.

Shanghai residents and tourists would be able to enjoy the charming scenery of Suzhou Creek not only on foot, but also by cruise from December.

Sightseeing ships on the creek had become "floating parlors on water" and the route would connect eight piers in total.

The Zhongshan Park and Xikang Road piers would be put into operation this year.

"We are also planning new routes and itineraries to make the cruise tour a pleasant experience for residents and tourists," Fang said.

Shanghai has witnessed robust recovery in its tourism industry.

In the first quarter of this year, the Huangpu River and Suzhou Creek cruises hosted more than 500,000 passengers.

Shanghai International Tourism Resort registered about 6.3 million visits in the first three months of this year, surging 82.4 percent from the same period in 2019.

It is expected the resort would receive more than 20 million visits this year, hitting a record high since its opening.