Aerial photo taken on Aug 22, 2017 shows Yangma Island in Yantai, East China's Shandong province. The island is known as a holiday resort due to its beautiful scenery. [Photo by Guo Xulei/Xinhua]

Yantai, Shandong province will start building an international homeport for cruise liners in May 2019 and put it into operation by 2020, according to a press conference held by the municipal government on Jan 25.

The government decided the potential locations of the project in 2017. In summer of 2018 Yantai will report the overall planning of the project to national and provincial authorities. Its location is expected be finalized between July and October.

Yantai boasts a long history of receiving international cruise ships. In 2014, Yantai became the homeport of the Chinese Taishan cruise ship line, and in 2015 was recognized as one of the nation's 12 ports of departure for cruise ships by China's Ministry of Transport.

Through the construction of cruise terminals and related facilities, Yantai aims to develop a tourism route that integrates the city's mountains, sea and islands.

Photo taken on July 28, 2017 shows fishing boats around a dock at Zhifu island in Yantai, East China's Shandong Province. [Photo by Gao Qimin/Xinhua]