logo
China's first Legoland opens to tourists in Shanghai

China's first Legoland opens to tourists in Shanghai

Article content
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.
Article content
The Chinese branch of the British-owned theme park franchise is the biggest Legoland in the world.
Article content
Article content
It drew in early customers who flocked to attractions including a miniature train ride and a dragon-themed rollercoaster.
Article content
Article content
'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.
Article content
Article content
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.
Article content
'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'.
Article content
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.
Article content
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.
Article content
Article content
Companies have taken note of the wider local tourism boom and stepped up their plans in China.
Article content
Article content
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.
Article content
Toy giant Hasbro said this week its giant Peppa Pig park in the city was now 'in the phase of creative design.'
Article content
Chinese collectable toy maker Pop Mart has also opened an attraction in Beijing featuring life-sized versions of its popular Labubu toys.
Article content
'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.
Orange background

Try Our AI Features

Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:

Comments

No comments yet...

Related Articles

Nankai's Mission: Making Manners Matter on the Rails
Nankai's Mission: Making Manners Matter on the Rails

Japan Forward

time9 hours ago

  • Japan Forward

Nankai's Mission: Making Manners Matter on the Rails

Enter Nankai Electric Railway. Wait, weren't there posters about train manners inside their cars? "We don't create many posters of our own," says Akinori Oda, assistant manager in the company's public relations department. But that doesn't mean Nankai is inactive. The company serves Kansai International Airport, one of Japan's busiest international gateways, with around 30 million passengers annually. In that role, they display posters created annually by the Japan Private Railway Association and the Kansai Railway Association, both of which it's a member of. What sets them apart is their manners awareness campaign aimed specifically at foreign travelers. For instance, the company issues alerts to passengers who try to use escalators while carrying large suitcases or bulky carry-on bags. "After the COVID-19 pandemic, the number of inbound travelers began gradually rising around August 2023," said Oda. "But with that came a surge in accidents, such as luggage falling on escalators. While we had been making announcements at Kansai Airport Station, we decided to create posters as well to raise awareness." All of Nankai's posters are written in Japanese, English, Korean, and Chinese. Since customs and manners vary by country, the messaging avoids imposing Japanese norms on foreign tourists. Instead, it takes a more considerate tone, saying things like, "Doing A is dangerous. Therefore, please B." A multilingual etiquette poster by Nankai Electric Railway, encouraging good manners on trains for foreign visitors in English, Korean, and Chinese. (©Nankai Railway) In addition, since March of this year, the Rapi:t Express train connecting Kansai International Airport and Osaka Namba has included flyers in seat pockets with photographs illustrating "where to place suitcases and carry-on bags" and "the correct way to sit in your seat." "Every year, many foreign tourists visit Japan," Oda explained. "As the railway that connects directly to Kansai International Airport, we believe it is Nankai Electric Railway's mission to communicate effectively with these visitors." Hear, hear! An illustrated booklet outlining proper train manners, available inside the Rapi:t Express train. (©Nankai Electric Railway) Since 2021, Nankai Electric Railway has collaborated with students from Osaka Animation College in Suita City, Osaka Prefecture, to produce educational animations. The titles include "Sachi's Promise" and "Nankai Electric Railway: Kai's Great Adventure!" Sachi's Promise follows the journey of Sachi Nakamatsu, a young woman who overcomes challenges to become a train driver for Nankai Electric Railway. Her surname, Nakamatsu, comes from a station on the Nankai Kada Line in Wakayama City, where she was born and raised. After graduating from a local high school, Sachi joins the railway company and fulfills her dream of driving trains on the Kada Line, a route she had been familiar with since childhood. Sachi's Promise follows the journey of Sachi Nakamatsu, a young female train driver overcoming the challenges of her profession. (©Nanakai Electric Railway) A scene from the manners awareness video Kai's Great Adventure! by Nankai Electric Railway, promoting proper train etiquette in a fun and engaging way. The first episode is titled Reckless Behaviors at Level Crossing. Meanwhile, the second episode is Railroad Crossing Emergency Button, and the third is Walking While Using a Smartphone. Each episode runs for approximately 30 seconds. Kai-kun is the younger brother of Sachi Nakamatsu. His approximately five-minute story teaches passengers about proper train etiquette. It's inspired by an incident that occurred during Kai's trip from his home in Wakayama to visit his grandfather in Namba, Osaka, via the Nankai Electric Railway. Professional voice actress Yuki Nakajima voices Yukiko Nakamatsu, while a student from Osaka Animation College voices Kai-kun. The story is available on the Nankai Electric Railway website. In January of last year, the company hosted a special visiting lecture called "Nankai Electric Railway School." The event was aimed at elementary school students living along the Nankai Electric Railway line. Nankai Electric Railway's outreach lecture at an elementary school, where train drivers are teaching students about proper railway etiquette. (©Nankai Electric Railway) In a rare move, the instructor for the event was not a station manager but a train driver. Furthermore, in March last year, the company organized a "manners training and exchange event" for foreign workers in Japan. Participants were taught proper railway etiquette and how to use ticket vending machines. Author: Ryuichi Tadokoro , The Sankei Shimbun (Read this in Japanese )

The Dalai Lama celebrates his 90th birthday with thousands of Tibetan Buddhists
The Dalai Lama celebrates his 90th birthday with thousands of Tibetan Buddhists

Toronto Star

time13 hours ago

  • Toronto Star

The Dalai Lama celebrates his 90th birthday with thousands of Tibetan Buddhists

DHARAMSHALA, India (AP) — The Dalai Lama turned 90 on Sunday surrounded by thousands of followers, who thronged the Himalayan town of Dharamshala, where the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism has been living in exile since fleeing Chinese rule in Tibet in 1959. Sitting before a packed audience that included hundreds of red-robed monks and nuns who braved incessant rain to see him, he said: 'When I look back on my life, I see that I have not wasted it at all.'

OPEC's new supply shock nails on oil market's return to surplus
OPEC's new supply shock nails on oil market's return to surplus

Calgary Herald

time20 hours ago

  • Calgary Herald

OPEC's new supply shock nails on oil market's return to surplus

Article content Oil futures slumped 11% over the past two weeks in London, quickly shrugging off the Israel-Iran conflict and suggesting traders are not convinced extra barrels are vital. Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and JPMorgan Chase & Co. have been predicting a further slide towards $60 this year as Chinese consumption falters and Trump's trade tariffs cast a shadow across the global economy. Article content Broad Support Article content Eight of the alliance's key members decided during Saturday's video-conference to restore 548,000 barrels a day of halted output in August. It's a marked step-up from the 411,000-barrel hikes set for May, June and July, which were already triple the volume initially scheduled for those months. Article content OPEC+ will consider another 548,000-barrel tranche for September at a meeting on Aug. 3, a step that would complete the reversal of a 2.2 million-barrel cutback — made back in 2023 — a year earlier than previously envisioned. Article content Article content The actual supply impact on oil markets will likely be smaller than advertised, as Saudi Energy Minister Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman pressures countries that previously exceeded their production quotas to forego their share of the hikes. Russia and Iraq are showing some signs of compensation, though Kazakhstan continues to cheat. Article content 'The official return of barrels is one thing, but actual new supply versus the headline numbers is another,' said Doug King, chief executive officer of RCMA Capital LLP. 'Diesel premiums are showing the market undersupply. So unless we see physical weakness via visible inventory increases, I don't see a path lower for crude prices.' Article content Officials also stress that the supply additions can be 'paused or reversed subject to evolving market conditions.' But unless they exercise that option, the extra barrels already rubber-stamped will almost inevitably deepen a slide in prices. Article content Article content That would likely mollify President Trump's repeated calls for cheaper fuel costs to staunch the cost-of-living crisis that hurt his predecessor. Trump also has to fend off inflation while lining up a raft of tariffs, and agitating the Federal Reserve to lower interest rates. Article content Yet the rout will take a toll on America's oil industry, from corporate giants like Exxon Mobil Corp., to the shale explorers who widely backed Trump's bid to reclaim the White House. Shale executives said in a recent survey they expect to drill significantly fewer wells this year than planned at the start of 2025 as prices falter. Article content And the pain may well ripple through OPEC+ itself. Article content Saudi Arabia needs more than $90 a barrel to cover government spending, as Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman embarks on a radical plan to transform the desert kingdom's economy, according to the International Monetary Fund. Riyadh is grappling with a soaring budget deficit, and has been forced to slash spending on some of the prince's flagship projects. Article content If Riyadh tires of the financial strain, it could opt to pull supplies back off the market again. Article content 'They do have the option of a volte-face,' said Neil Atkinson, an independent analyst and former head of the IEA's oil markets and industry division. But in the meantime, 'there's no alternative but to ensure market share and accept lower prices. You might as well accept the world for what it is, which is what they're doing.'

DOWNLOAD THE APP

Get Started Now: Download the App

Ready to dive into a world of global content with local flavor? Download Daily8 app today from your preferred app store and start exploring.
app-storeplay-store