Port History
The Port of Shanghai is a natural deepwater port and shipping centre. It had a customs office in the early 11th Century, and by the end of the 13th century, it was a county seat under the Kiangsu Province. After 1850, western nations made Shanghai their Chinese base for commercial imperialism. Britain's 1842 victory over China led to opening the city for foreign trade and allowing British, French, and Americans to occupy designated areas.
The British got navigation rights on the Yangtze River in 1857, and the Port of Shanghai became the most important port in China. By 1860, it accounted for around one-fourth of the tonnage shipped into and out of China. After World War I, Western and Japanese economic imperialism surged once again. Japan occupied the port during World War II, when its industries suffered major damage.
Before Shanghai fell to the People's Liberation Army in 1949, it had major economic dislocations resulting from an explosion of small inefficient industries, uncontrolled inflation, and no plan for reconstruction. After 1949, China's emphasis on internal regional development further slowed Shanghai's development. But since relations with the Soviet Union cooled after 1960, the Port of Shanghai has retaken its position as China's leading scientific and technological research center.
Port Commerce
The Port of Shanghai is China's major transportation hub. At high tide, oceangoing vessels can sail up the river to the city. In the 1950s, the harbor was divided into specialized sections for storing bulk commodities, maintaining transportation, general cargo wharves, small-craft terminals and cargo-handling, and passenger and freight terminals. The Port of Shanghai is a hub for industrial products going everywhere in China. In foreign trade, the value of exports is greater than imports, and manufactured exports are increasing steadily.
Shanghai Port International Cruise Terminal Development Co., Ltd. is a major construction project. Located in the North Bund Area, it covers an area of almost 100 miles with a waterfront of about one-half a mile. A city where east and west meet, Shanghai has geographic advantages, economic development, and lots of tourist attractions. These elements make the Port of Shanghai an ideal China cruise destination.
Cruising and Travel
Covering the next five years, Shanghai's port development blueprint calls for development of the cruise business and for Shanghai to become a homeport. Cruising has grown quickly in the Port of Shanghai, and the volume of calls and passengers continues to increase dramatically. The cruise market has huge potential due to the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games and the 2010 World Expo to be hosted by Shanghai. They抮e expecting around 500,000 passengers each year for the next several years.
