China's first domestically built cruise ship has set sail on its maiden voyage from Shanghai.

The Adora Magic City left port on its first commercial cruise in the late afternoon on Monday, en route to South Korea and Japan.

Equipped with a mahjong lounge and hotpot restaurant, the luxury vessel is aimed squarely at the nation’s expanding middle class and their appetite for international travel.

State media have hailed the 16-deck behemoth as a "major milestone for the country's shipbuilding industry" and a "crown jewel".

"Through this project, we have established our first 'national team' for cruise ship designing and cultivated a group of professionals in research, development, and design," said Yang Guobing, chairman of CSSC Cruise Technology Development Co Ltd, the operator of the ship.

"It will help build an industrial innovation system integrating technical demand, product development...and industrialisation," Yang said.

The ship's construction was delayed by the Covid-19 pandemic, according to Lloyd's Register (LR), which provided marine services for the ship.

It is China's first foray into a sector dominated by European shipbuilders.

Though many of Adora Magic City's components were provided by international suppliers, Marco Scopaz, LR’s on-site project manager, said that "China has the opportunity to build its own supply chain".

The Adora Magic City "marks the beginning of the country's inevitable and rapid development in cruise design and construction", he added.

The ship is 323.6 metres long, has a gross weight of 135,500 tonnes, and can accommodate up to 5,246 passengers in its 2,125 guestrooms. (AFP/Xinhua)