CHINA’S first domestically-built large cruise ship finished its commercial maiden voyage Sunday after traveling 1,119 nautical miles on the trip of seven days and six nights.

Carrying more than 3,000 passengers, the Adora Magic City set off from the Shanghai Wusongkou International Cruise Terminal on Jan. 1 and stopped at the ports in the city of Seogwipo on Jeju Island, South Korea, as well as the Japanese cities of Nagasaki and Fukuoka before returning to the Wusongkou terminal.

During the voyage, experts from the Dunhuang Academy gave four lectures, demonstrating the art of Dunhuang grottoes and introducing a digital exhibition jointly organized by the cruise and the academy. While enjoying a good time at sea, guests on board could also enjoy the replicas of the artistic treasures of Dunhuang.

The Adora Magic City is 323.6 meters in length, has a gross weight of 135,500 tons, and can accommodate up to 5,246 passengers across a total of 2,125 guest rooms, according to its builder, the China State Shipbuilding Corporation (CSSC) Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding Co. Ltd. (SWS). The cruise is jointly operated by the CSSC Cruise Technology Development Co. Ltd. and the Adora Cruises Ltd.

The Adora Magic City aims to offer a unique cruise experience that seamlessly blends Eastern and Western cultures, with Shanghai, dubbed as the “Magic City” by many Chinese, serving as its home port in the inaugural season. Its name means “starting from Shanghai, love towards the world.”

The interior design of the Adora Magic City has integrated Eastern and Western aesthetics, combining traditional and modern styles. Wall paintings and art decorations featuring the ancient Silk Road and the Maritime Silk Road are seen from the main hall to the theater and other public venues. It has 16 floors and 40,000 square meters of public living and recreational space.

Like many passengers wishing to realize their dreams of traveling on board China’s own cruise ships, Zhang Lu booked tickets for her daughter and herself. “I have always been concerned about the progress of our homegrown large cruise ships,” she said. “With this voyage, I would like to have my child personally experience the great achievement of our country.”

Building large cruise ships like the Adora Magic City marked a leap in China’s overall shipbuilding capacity, said Chen Gang, general manager of the SWS. After eight years of scientific research and five years of design and construction, the ship was delivered in November. China has become the fifth country, after Germany, France, Italy and Finland, able to build large cruise ships.

To build the ship, Chen said, SWS has cooperated with 361 tier-one suppliers and 1,105 tier-two supporting enterprises, making a series of breakthroughs in key technologies and developing the capacities of large cruise ship construction and complex giant system management.

“Through this project, we have established our first ‘national team’ for cruise ship designing and cultivated a group of professionals in research, development and design. It will help build an industrial innovation system integrating technical demand, product development, technological innovation, technology verification, and industrialization,” said Yang Guobing, chairman of the CSSC Cruise Technology Development Co. Ltd.

Routes between China and countries of Southeast Asia and a “Maritime Silk Road” route will be launched later. (Xinhua)