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Invest Shanghai
Shanghai ranks third globally and first in China for modern marine city development for three consecutive years, according to the Shanghai Modern Marine City Development Blue Book released by the Shanghai Municipal Bureau of Water Resources.
The ranking evaluates 21 representative marine cities in China and overseas across five dimensions: marine industry innovation, shipping resource allocation, marine affairs governance, green development and transition, and overall urban development capacity.
The blue book indicates that Shanghai ranked behind Singapore and London, remaining in the top tier of global marine cities.
Situated at the mouth of the Yangtze River and the meeting point of China's northern and southern coastlines, Shanghai is a leading international shipping center, a hub for marine technology innovation, a demonstration zone for green and low-carbon marine development, a platform for international maritime cooperation, and a pioneer in integrated marine governance.
Preliminary estimates for 2025 put Shanghai's gross ocean product at 1.11 trillion yuan ($164 billion). This represents a 5 percent year-on-year increase and accounts for 10.1 percent of China's total gross ocean product.
Baoshan district has emerged as a demonstration area for China's cruise tourism development and a core hub of Shanghai's cruise industry. Shanghai Wusongkou International Cruise Terminal handles about 70 percent of China's cruise passenger market.
In the first five months of 2026, the terminal recorded 589,000 inbound and outbound passenger trips, with foreign tourists accounting for 13.8 percent.
The Adora Magic City returned from its first cruise-to-nowhere voyage on June 8. The Costa Serena was scheduled to call at Shanghai again on June 9, bringing about 3,000 international passengers.
Baoshan released an action plan on June 8 to improve cruise tourism services and expand cruise-related offerings.
Under the plan, the district will expand its lineup of domestic cruise brands, support major international cruise companies in launching differentiated products, develop themed cruise seasons, and build integrated tourism products linking inland river cruises with international cruise routes.
The Adora Magic City will launch a Chinese-style fantasy voyage inspired by Shanhaijing (Classic of Mountains and Seas), an ancient Chinese text known for its myths, geography, and legendary creatures. The Spectrum of the Seas will develop family-oriented experiences based on popular animation themes, while China's second domestically built large cruise ship, the Adora Flora City, is expected to begin sea trials by the end of 2026.
In addition, Yangtze Cruise No 3, a premium river cruise ship, is scheduled to debut in Baoshan during the China International Import Expo, offering a route between Shanghai and Chongqing.
The district also plans to develop a globally competitive cruise R&D and manufacturing cluster, establish a cruise headquarters base, and create high-quality waterfront resort experiences.
On the same day, Shanghai released its 2025 marine ecological early-warning and monitoring bulletin.
The bulletin stated that Shanghai's marine ecology remained generally stable and continued to improve, supported by ongoing marine ecological protection and restoration work. Monitoring recorded 786 species of phytoplankton, zooplankton, macrobenthos and nekton during spring and summer in 2025, while the city's major coastal and island ecosystems remained in good condition.
By 2030, the city plans to restore at least 100 kilometers of coastline and no fewer than 500 hectares of coastal area, aiming to build a more integrated marine ecological restoration system linking land, rivers, and sea.