Port of Dalian in NE China resumes int'l cruise ship activity

An aerial drone photo taken on Jan. 16, 2024 shows vehicles and a ro-ro ship at a terminal of Dalian Port, northeast China's Liaoning Province. (Xinhua/Chen Wei)

DALIAN, March 10 (Xinhua) -- On Sunday, a Zuiderdam cruise ship operated by the Holland America Line docked in the port city of Dalian in northeast China, marking the resumption of the Dalian terminal's international cruise shipping activity.

This is the first international cruise ship to visit northeast China since the country announced the full resumption of international cruise ship transport to and from its ports in September 2023. It had been four years since the last international cruise ship was received by Dalian, local authorities said.

On Sunday morning, more than 2,000 tourists and staff members aboard the ship, hailing from 47 countries and regions, arrived at the Dalian port from Shanghai. Their stay in Dalian was set to feature visits to multiple scenic spots in the city, while they also planned to participate in cultural experience activities. The cruise ship is scheduled to reach north China's Tianjin on Monday, as it continues its cruise around the world.

Dalian in Liaoning Province was among China's very first cities to launch international cruise tour operations.