China is making a big leap forward in cruise ship construction, a sector that has so far been dominated by Europe. After its successes in building cargo and container ships, the country is aiming to compete in building giant passenger ships, a field with very high technological and operational requirements. Its most ambitious project, the Adora Flora City, has already left the shipyard in Shanghai and is in the final stages of sea trials, with the first itineraries expected to begin from Guangzhou by the end of the year. With a length of 341 meters and a capacity for over 5,200 passengers in more than 2,000 cabins, the ship resembles a small city on the water, while its design is inspired by Chinese cultural elements, such as the Silk Road.

The name “Huacheng”, which means “flower city”, is also reflected in the interior decor of the ship. Its construction took just 9 months, an unusually short time for a project of this complexity, and the first tickets are already on sale. While European countries such as Italy, Germany, France and Finland have historically led the sector, the entry of China is changing the balance. Adora Flora City is part of a development path that began with Adora Magic City, built with technical support from the Italian shipyard Fincantieri, but the new project shows that China has significantly reduced its dependence on foreign expertise, taking on most of the design and construction.

The project is being carried out by Adora Cruises, initially a partnership with the American Carnival Corporation, now fully under Chinese control. China's future plan is to build a fully autonomous cruise ship by 2030, which could enable mass production and intensify competition in a sector where Europe has had a historical lead, significantly changing the global balance in cruise ship construction.