China's first Legoland opens to tourists in Shanghai
Thousands of local tourists poured into China's first-ever Legoland as it opened its gates in Shanghai on Saturday, the latest theme park hoping to capitalise on a domestic tourism boom.
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The Chinese branch of the British-owned theme park franchise is the biggest Legoland in the world.
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It drew in early customers who flocked to attractions including a miniature train ride and a dragon-themed rollercoaster.
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'I personally love to play with Lego blocks and we have many sets at home… so I wanted to come to Legoland at the earliest opportunity,' said Shi, a 35-year-old resident of nearby city Hangzhou, who was visiting the park with his wife and child.
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Despite the Chinese economy's sluggish growth in recent years, domestic tourist spending grew 18.6 percent in the first quarter of this year compared to the previous year, according to statistics.
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'Ever since the pandemic, I've made very few trips abroad,' said Shi, adding his family now travels to theme parks around China 'many times a year'.
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Eager Lego fans rushed into the park as soon as it opened, wearing themed shirts and waving branded flags as they enjoyed the 318,000-square-metre (78.5-acre) compound in scorching temperatures.
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Beijing has announced subsidies intended to make travelling within the country more affordable for Chinese citizens, and is pushing local governments to heavily market their attractions on social media.
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Companies have taken note of the wider local tourism boom and stepped up their plans in China.
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A new 'Spider-Man' attraction at Shanghai Disneyland broke ground in May, while Warner Brothers is set to open a Harry Potter experience in Shanghai by 2027.
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Toy giant Hasbro said this week its giant Peppa Pig park in the city was now 'in the phase of creative design.'
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Chinese collectable toy maker Pop Mart has also opened an attraction in Beijing featuring life-sized versions of its popular Labubu toys.
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'The various provinces are putting a lot of effort into expanding their tourism industries, and all of them have special attractions,' said Xu, a 34-year-old parent visiting Legoland on Saturday with his children.
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