China's homegrown large cruise ship becomes messenger of cultural exchanges

After more than a year since its commercial maiden voyage on Jan. 1, 2024, China's first domestically built large cruise ship, the Adora Magic City, has emerged as a messenger of cultural exchanges and served as a mobile maritime business card.

Photo shows the Adora Magic City, China's first homegrown large cruise ship, at Jeju Island, South Korea. (Photo courtesy of the interviewee)

On Jan. 28, the Adora Magic City and the Adora Mediterranea, the two cruise ships in operation under Adora Cruises, a subsidiary of CSSC Cruise Technology Development Co., Ltd., embarked on their Spring Festival-themed voyages.

Both cruise ships were festively decorated, showcasing lanterns themed on the Year of the Snake and other traditional New Year elements.

The cruise ships offered intangible cultural heritage experiences, from making paper-cutting works and writing Spring Festival couplets to Chinese exercises like Tai Chi and Baduanjin, and traditional games.

The cruise ships also provided a live broadcast of the Year of the Snake Spring Festival Gala and offered an array of Spring Festival-themed activities and performances, including a calligraphy event, a concert, and a stage show.

Photo shows a Chinese-style dance performance on the Adora Magic City, China's first homegrown large cruise ship. (Photo courtesy of the interviewee)

The successful one-year operation of the Adora Magic City not only represents a milestone for Adora Cruises but also a breakthrough in China's independent cruise operations. It also contributes to promoting Chinese cruise culture and enhances the influence and competitiveness of the brand of Chinese cruise ships in the global cruise market, said Yang Guobing, chairman of CSSC Cruise Technology Development Co., Ltd.

According to statistics, the Adora Magic City and the Adora Mediterranea have served nearly 500,000 domestic and international guests.

In June 2024, Adora Cruises introduced 101 shore excursion routes, combining cultural, artistic, historical, and natural elements at cruise destinations, providing a rich experience for tourists.

One example of how Chinese culture is providing rich experiences for tourists are the activities based around Dunhuang, a historical site on the ancient Silk Road. Not only was Fan Jinshi, honorary director of the Dunhuang Academy, invited to serve as ambassador during the cruise ship's maiden voyage, but the ship also provided an onboard digital art exhibition themed on murals from the Mogao Grottoes, a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Dunhuang, northwest China's Gansu Province. Experts from the academy gave four lectures onboard.

During this year's Spring Festival holiday, the Adora Magic City introduced the second edition of the digital art exhibition themed on Dunhuang. This exhibition features 11 murals and a statue, providing insights into the clothing and makeup traditions of different historical periods.

Children participate in an activity on the Adora Magic City, China's first homegrown large cruise ship. (Photo courtesy of the interviewee)

Since Feb. 1, 2025, Adora Cruises has launched a series of activities under the theme of Dunhuang's costume culture, including documentary screenings, mural-inspired dance performances, and hands-on experiences with costumes and makeup of apsaras, a typical dancing image on the murals from the Mogao Grottoes. In addition, it has provided a special experience program for children to feel the charm of Dunhuang art.

"We are delighted to deepen our collaboration with the Dunhuang Academy and continue the legacy of the Silk Road spirit. The first edition of the digital art exhibition was highly acclaimed, and we will provide more activities for the second edition, bringing guests a more immersive maritime cultural journey," said an executive of Adora Cruises.

The fusion of cruise travel with culture has made cruise travel more attractive. During the National Day holiday in 2024, Adora Cruises collaborated with famous Yuju Opera artist Li Shujian and top Yuju Opera performing troupes to bring traditional Chinese drama culture onboard. A full version of the Yuju Opera classic "Cheng Ying Rescues the Orphan," and a series of well-known zhezixi (episodes) performances interpreting the stories of ancient Chinese heroine Hua Mulan and "The Monkey King" were held.

Passengers also participated in interactive activities and learned more about the essence and fascinating knowledge of traditional Chinese drama from lectures.

Adora Cruises has forged a strategic partnership with the national folk literature and art development center of the Ministry of Culture and Tourism to offer guests a distinctive exploration of maritime intangible cultural heritage.

Over the past year, Adora Cruises has raised the bar in luxury cruise experiences through its innovative model of integrating cruise with culture, contributing significantly to the high-quality development of China's cruise industry.

A Spring Festival-themed activity is held on the Adora Magic City, China's first homegrown large cruise ship. (Photo courtesy of the interviewee)

"Cruise ships are messengers of cultural exchanges and mobile maritime business cards," said Yang, highlighting the company's commitment to its long-term strategy of integrating culture into cruise services.

"As China's leading cruise brand, Adora Cruises remains committed to expanding our fleet, optimizing deployment, and enhancing customer experiences. Through diverse partnerships, we aim to explore new opportunities in the integration of culture, commerce, and tourism while establishing a 'Chinese paradigm' in the global cruise industry," Yang said.

Adora Cruises has continuously promoted the sustainable development of China's cruise industry, remaining committed to developing talent for the sector and planning to increase the staff ratio of domestic crew members.

Adora Cruises announced its future coastal cruise plans in Qingdao, east China's Shandong Province, on Jan 9, 2025. The company revealed that the Adora Magic City will launch its coastal voyage from Qingdao in April this year. The cruise ship will set sail from Qingdao International Cruise Home Port, offering two international cruise routes - each spanning four nights and five days - to Japan's Fukuoka and South Korea's Jeju. This marks the first time the vessel will operate from a Chinese port city outside Shanghai.

The Adora Magic City will visit more Chinese port cities in the future to facilitate the promotion of both maritime culture and cruise culture.

China's second domestically built large cruise ship - Adora Flora City - completed hull assembly on Jan. 15, 2025. The cruise ship is scheduled to be delivered and launch its international voyage from Guangzhou in south China's Guangdong Province at the end of 2026.