MSC BELLISSIMA: Shanghai, China - Shanghai, China - 20.01.2027. - 9 days

     Fukuoka is the capital of the prefecture of Fukuoka and is located on the northern coast of the island Kyushu in Japan. It is also the most populous city on the island of Kyushu (2.5 million people according to the 2005 census, including the neighbouring cities of Saga and Kasuga as part of the greater metropolitan area), followed by Kitakyushu.
The city's metropolitan area is the largest to the west of Osaka. Fukuoka is also the birthplace of several successful singers who have found fame in Japan and many other Asian nations. In recent years the city has been expanding along the coast and large areas of the city have been built on reclaimed land, such as the artificial island in the district of Higashi appropriately called Island City. Located 1,100 km from Tokyo, 540 km from Seoul, 870 km from Shanghai and 1,300 km form Taipei, Fukuoka is the most important city for cultural and economic exchange with the rest of Asia. Like most prefectures, Fukuoka has a moderate climate with an average temperature of 16.3°C and average humidity of 70%, 1,811 hours of sunlight and 205 cm precipitation. Roughly 40% of the year is cloudy. Winters are rainy with infrequent snowfall and temperatures rarely drop below 0°C. Spring is mild and sunnier, with cherry blossom appearing in late March or early April. The rainy season (tsuyu) lasts for approximately six weeks through June and July, when humidity is very high and temperatures hover between 25 and 30°C. Summers are hot and humid with temperatures reaching 37°C. Autumn, often considered Fukuoka's best season, is mild and dry, although the typhoon season runs between August and September. Overall in Spring and Autumn the rain is less intense. In May 2007, the city's estimated population was 1,442,836 with a population density of 7,184.07 per km². Its total area is 340.60 km².
With an average age of 38.6 years, Fukuoka is the second youngest city in Japan. The 4.4% growth rate is also the second fastest in the country (based on data from the 2000 census). Although the city of Fukuoka offers all kinds of entertainment, a rich history and excellent local cuisine, it is off the beaten tourist track for Europeans. Nonetheless, it is a leading destination for Japanese visitors and tourists from neighbouring Asian countries. At 234 metres, the FukuokaTower is the tallest tower in Kyushu, the tallest costal tower in Japan and the 13th-tallest structure in the country. Situated in the district of Sawara, it was built in 1989 for the Asian Pacific Expo (Yokatopia). It offers the chance to admire the city's splendid panorama 123 metres from the ground. Sky Dream Fukuoka, situated in the Sawara district, is the largest Ferris wheel in Japan and the fifth-largest in the world, standing 120 metres above the ground. Ohori Park offers plenty of opportunities for leisure and relaxation. Opened in 1929, it features a large artificial lake modelled on Lake Xi Hi in China.
The Uminonakamichi Seaside Park in the Higashi district was an American military base until 1972. Today its 200 hectares make it the largest recreational area in Fukuoka. There is an amusement park with rollercoasters and a Ferris wheel, as well as a small petting zoo, a huge park with exhibition areas, sandy beaches, hotels and a large aquarium with dolphin shows. The Tower of the Port of Hakata, 103 metres tall, offers a panoramic view over Hakata Bay's shopping complex, Bayside Place. Besides being a port with connections to many destinations, it is also home to numerous shops and restaurants, as well as a large aquarium. The Saibu Gas Centre is unusual in that it is a museum about gas. Here you can spend some time learning some interesting facts about the science of gas with the museum's various interactive displays. Fukuoka Castle offers an interesting cultural experience.
All that remains of the castle in Ohori Park are several towers, rebuilt around 1950 - 1960, a period in which many damaged castles were renovated. It was in fact destroyed during the Meiji Restoration. The Genko Historical Museum, a museum dedicated to the Mongolian invasions in Higashi Park, features 13th century Mongolian and Japanese arms and armour, as well as paintings of historical subjects. Fukuoka is known throughout Japan first and foremost for its mentaiko: this dish comes from Korean cuisine and consists of cod roe marinated in salt and chilli pepper. Another Fukuoka speciality is tonkotsu ramen, noodles in broth made from pork bones that have been boiled for hours. The port and the airport are very important. Fukuoka is surpassed only by Tokyo and Osaka for international trade. Between 2000 and 2004 the value of exports for the port of Hakata has actually more than doubled. 50% of exports are rubber goods, bearing in mind that nearby Kurume is home to Bridgestone.

      Shanghai is the largest city in the People's Republic of China. At the beginning of 2006 the administrative district had over 18 million inhabitants, the city proper 9,327,199. It is built on the Huangpu river, on the Chang Jiang delta.
In the last few decades, like the rest of the country in fact, Shanghai has seen incredible growth, becoming an economic, financial, commercial and communications centre of enormous importance. The port is one of the busiest in the world, together with those of Shanghai and Hamburg. But Shanghai is also a peerless cultural and university centre.
The city and its hinterland forms one of the four municipalities of China and has provincial status. In the Chinese language Shanghai is abbreviated to Hù and Shen, and literally means "by the sea" or even "in the sea". It is known throughout the world by various colourful nicknames, which highlight a variety of different features, for example "Paris of the East", "Queen of the East" or "Pearl of the Orient". Its origins are uncertain, but by the 11th century, Shanghai was already one of the Chinese Empire's commercial centres.
However, it only really began to grow after 1842 with the Opium War, specifically with the Treaty of Nanking under which the western powers effectively imposed the opening of the city and the port to international trade and introduced the system of concessions, according to which the English, French and Americans especially operated in the commercial and financial sector. Concessions were abolished during the Japanese occupation (1937-1945) and business activity started again at the end of the Second World War. In 1949 Mao's communists took control of the city (and of the whole country, except Taiwan) and Shanghai became one of only two municipalities not to be immediately annexed to the neighbouring provinces.
You can retrace the stages of this history in the Shanghai Museum (founded in 1952). From the fifties the Communist regime forced many foreign companies to transfer their business from Shanghai to Hong Kong and the city became an industrial centre of the communist revolution. During the Cultural Revolution, Shanghai was able to maintain its traditionally high productivity and relative social stability, even if the first liberalisation only occurred in 1991.
The race for the future of this chaotic megalopolis really took off at the beginning of the nineties and in little more than a decade, its rapid economic development, based on financial and banking services, manufacturing companies and high technology, has attracted substantial investment from many foreign companies. Shanghai is now an international metropolis which is expected to overtake the great western centres. The economic liveliness and growing modernisation are clearly shown by the skyscrapers in the Pudong financial district.
You could imagine yourself here in one of the major American or European financial centres. Jinmao Tower is the highest skyscraper, standing 420 metres tall with 88 floors, whereas the highest building overall is the Television Tower (Oriental Pearl Tower, 467 metres). Today, Shanghai vies above all with Hong Kong, which has, however, the advantage of a more modern and stable legal system and greater experience in the banking and financial sector. On the other hand, Shanghai has closer links with the central government in Beijing.
Nevertheless, the handing back of Hong Kong to China by the English in 1997 has increased Shanghai's opportunities for economic development and in the last few years it has focused a great deal on sport (Formula 1) but also and above all on the last summer Olympics in 2008 as a means of international promotion. Beijing has naturally been the main host city, but other Chinese cities have hosted some Olympic events. Apart from Shanghai, events were held in Hong Kong, Qingdao, Tianjin, Shenyang and Qinhuangdao.

     Busan, a bustling city of approximately 3.6 million residents, is located on the southeastern tip of the Korean peninsula.
The size of Busan is 765.64km² which is 0.8% of the whole land of the Korean Peninsula. The natural environment of Busan is a perfect example of harmony between mountains, rivers and sea. Its geography includes a coastline with superb beaches and scenic cliffs, mountains which provide excellent hiking and extraordinary views, and hot springs scattered throughout the city.
Busan enjoys four distinct seasons and a temperate climate that never gets too hot or too cold.
Busan is the second largest city in Korea. Its deep harbor and gentle tides have allowed it to grow into the largest container handling port in the country and the fifth largest in the world. In the coming years, capacity is set to grow further with the opening of the New Port. The city's natural endowments and rich history have resulted in Busan's increasing reputation as a world class city of tourism and culture, and it is also becoming renowned as an international convention destination.
Busan, a city of beautiful mountains, rivers and the sea, is also a important cultural city. With the Nakdong River bordering the city and superb natural scenery like Haeundae adding nationwide attraction, the city serves as a major nexus of cultural activities around the region. Also, Busan is the first international port city in Korea. Its location enables the city to serve as a main gateway for the Korean Peninsula and the entire Northeast Asian region.
Geographically, Busan has the Straits of Korea to its south; Ulsan to the north; Gimhae to the West. Cities that share almost the same latitude with Busan include Jinhae and Gwangju in Korea, as well as Tokyo, Jeongsen, Algiers and Oklahoma City abroad.
Busan is eight hours ahead of GMT. As for its geopolitical location, the city comes at the Southern tip of a strip that connects Asia, Siberia and Europe. It also serves as a main gateway to the Pacific Ocean.
This location places the city at the center of international sea transportation.
Busan is located at the southeastern most tip of the Korean peninsula and in the mid-latitude temperate zone, which has seasonal winds. It has four seasons: Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter. The annual average temperature is 15°C. The annual average precipitation is 2,397mm. Busan has strong winds compared to other areas in Korea. Spring begins in March and ends in late June. Cherry blossom trees bloom in late March. And the temperature is very comfortable in April, May and June. The rainy season at the end of June and July signals the beginning of the coming of the summer heat. The highest mean temperatures of around 32°C are at the end of July through mid-August. Fall is from early September through late-November.
The weather is nice and cool at this time because of the continental high atmospheric pressure. Winter starts by the end of November and continues until February. But Busan rarely has any snowfalls. The average winter temperature is 3.8°C. Tourists can enjoy Busan throughout all seasons because of the nice weather and beautiful scenery. In summer, the city is crowded with visitors who come to enjoy the beautiful beaches.
From its opening in 1876, the port city of Busan quickly developed into a hub of trade, commerce and industry. This development resulted in a rapid increase in its population, which had already reached 200,000 by 1936. A major leap in Busan's population came with the breakout of the Korean War, which resulted in an endless stream of people into the city. As a result, the population of Busan exceeded 1 million by the end of 1955. Another factor that spurred the population increase was the government policy for economic growth.
People from urban areas kept streaming into the city for jobs. By the end of 1994, there were approximately 4 million people who called Busan their home. Since 1995, the population has slowly begun to decrease. As of December 2006, Busan was home to 3,635,389 people.

      Shanghai is the largest city in the People's Republic of China. At the beginning of 2006 the administrative district had over 18 million inhabitants, the city proper 9,327,199. It is built on the Huangpu river, on the Chang Jiang delta.
In the last few decades, like the rest of the country in fact, Shanghai has seen incredible growth, becoming an economic, financial, commercial and communications centre of enormous importance. The port is one of the busiest in the world, together with those of Shanghai and Hamburg. But Shanghai is also a peerless cultural and university centre.
The city and its hinterland forms one of the four municipalities of China and has provincial status. In the Chinese language Shanghai is abbreviated to Hù and Shen, and literally means "by the sea" or even "in the sea". It is known throughout the world by various colourful nicknames, which highlight a variety of different features, for example "Paris of the East", "Queen of the East" or "Pearl of the Orient". Its origins are uncertain, but by the 11th century, Shanghai was already one of the Chinese Empire's commercial centres.
However, it only really began to grow after 1842 with the Opium War, specifically with the Treaty of Nanking under which the western powers effectively imposed the opening of the city and the port to international trade and introduced the system of concessions, according to which the English, French and Americans especially operated in the commercial and financial sector. Concessions were abolished during the Japanese occupation (1937-1945) and business activity started again at the end of the Second World War. In 1949 Mao's communists took control of the city (and of the whole country, except Taiwan) and Shanghai became one of only two municipalities not to be immediately annexed to the neighbouring provinces.
You can retrace the stages of this history in the Shanghai Museum (founded in 1952). From the fifties the Communist regime forced many foreign companies to transfer their business from Shanghai to Hong Kong and the city became an industrial centre of the communist revolution. During the Cultural Revolution, Shanghai was able to maintain its traditionally high productivity and relative social stability, even if the first liberalisation only occurred in 1991.
The race for the future of this chaotic megalopolis really took off at the beginning of the nineties and in little more than a decade, its rapid economic development, based on financial and banking services, manufacturing companies and high technology, has attracted substantial investment from many foreign companies. Shanghai is now an international metropolis which is expected to overtake the great western centres. The economic liveliness and growing modernisation are clearly shown by the skyscrapers in the Pudong financial district.
You could imagine yourself here in one of the major American or European financial centres. Jinmao Tower is the highest skyscraper, standing 420 metres tall with 88 floors, whereas the highest building overall is the Television Tower (Oriental Pearl Tower, 467 metres). Today, Shanghai vies above all with Hong Kong, which has, however, the advantage of a more modern and stable legal system and greater experience in the banking and financial sector. On the other hand, Shanghai has closer links with the central government in Beijing.
Nevertheless, the handing back of Hong Kong to China by the English in 1997 has increased Shanghai's opportunities for economic development and in the last few years it has focused a great deal on sport (Formula 1) but also and above all on the last summer Olympics in 2008 as a means of international promotion. Beijing has naturally been the main host city, but other Chinese cities have hosted some Olympic events. Apart from Shanghai, events were held in Hong Kong, Qingdao, Tianjin, Shenyang and Qinhuangdao.