China's Yinghui Southern Shipbuilding has laid the keel of a new sightseeing vessel ordered by local operator Guangzhou Star Cruise.
Design work on the vessel was undertaken by the 605 Research Institute subsidiary of the China Shipbuilding Group. Once completed, it will be the first sightseeing vessel in the waters off the city of Guangzhou to be fitted with 3D holographic projection technology.
The vessel will have an LOA of 43.4 metres, a beam of 13.5 metres, space for 428 passengers, and a design speed of 10 knots. The design incorporates a significant number of folds and bevels in the hull to combine various geometric changes, which will then produce light and shadow effects at different times and different angles.
The 3D holographic projection technology will allow observers to see three-dimensional virtual images without the need for specialised eyewear.
Once delivered, the new sightseeing vessel will be operated on nighttime trips in the Pearl River in Guangzhou.