The cruise industry is also set for a sprucing-up. The local government announced in May that it is aiming to turn sightseeing cruises in the city into a world-class attraction through a series of upgrades and by merging small operators.

The No. 1 Cruise Ship, the biggest vessel of its kind on the river, resumed operations in July after undergoing an upgrade. The 1,000-passenger dragon-shaped ship, which features traditional Chinese elements and bilingual audio guides in Chinese and English, departs from the wharf near the Bund and travels past the Yangpu Bridge or Wusongkou International Cruise Terminal before returning to its point of origin. Tickets are currently priced at 300 yuan ($44).

In the future, more cruise lines will be opened to provide tours during the day, and more stops might even be included, said Fang. The increase in the number of tours would also help to meet the growing demands for river cruises. Annual passenger cruise volume is expected to hit 6 million by 2020, twice current figures, according to the city's plans.

But the authorities have not forgotten about the ferry industry, having announced that free WiFi and multimedia services would be made available on these vessels in the third quarter of this year.

"The city is growing and I love how it looks at every period," said Zhen Yu, director at a State-owned research institute who is a regular customer of ferries and cruise ships.

"You get to appreciate the city's landscape and culture when traveling on a cruise ship. On a ferry, you get to witness the charming scenes of daily life, such as people on motorcycles eating their breakfast. Ferries and cruises represent the past and present of Shanghai."

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