China's first Legoland opens to tourists in Shanghai
The Chinese branch of the British-owned theme park franchise is the biggest Legoland in the world.
It drew in early customers who flocked to attractions including a miniature train ride and a dragon-themed rollercoaster.
"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.
Despite the Chinese economy's sluggish growth in recent years, domestic tourist spending grew 18.6 per cent in the first quarter of this year compared to the previous year, according to statistics.
"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".
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 sq m compound in scorching temperatures.
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.
Companies have taken note of the wider local tourism boom and stepped up their plans in China.
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.
Toy giant Hasbro said this week its giant Peppa Pig park in the city was now "in the phase of creative design".
Chinese collectable toy maker Pop Mart has also opened an attraction in Beijing featuring life-sized versions of its popular Labubu toys.
"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.
But profitability remains a problem, especially for local companies with less brand recognition.
As of late 2024, around 40 per cent of parks were still failing to turn a profit, according to state media reports.
Yet analysts point to a growing population of retirees and job market changes as key factors pushing more locals to visit domestic attractions.
"The labour market is turning more flexible," said Ernan Cui, China consumer analyst at Gavekal Research.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
CNA
an hour ago
- CNA
BTS and Twice members among celebrities who attended Blackpink's South Korea concert
K-pop and K-drama fans at South Korea's Goyang Stadium over the weekend (Jul 5 and 6) had many reasons to Stay. Not only did music sensation Blackpink kick off its highly anticipated Deadline tour, but the concert itself was attended by some of the biggest names in Korean entertainment. Here are some of the stars who were spotted at Blackpink's South Korea concert. 1. J-Hope (BTS) According to an online netizen who was at Blackpink's concert, it "felt like an earthquake had occurred" when attendees realised that J-Hope was present at the venue. The 31-year-old idol was seen dancing to a few songs, including Jennie's With The IE (Way Up), at the concert. He also took a picture with Colin Crooks, the British Ambassador to South Korea. 2. Nayeon and Jihyo (Twice) Similarly, Twice members Nayeon and Jihyo were greeted with screams and cheers when they entered Goyang Stadium, though the latter appeared to shy away from the attention. Fans have also expressed their amusement at pictures and videos of the pair wearing cooling patches and using portable fans at the concert. "I burst out laughing the moment I saw it. So cute," wrote one netizen. 3. Irene and Seulgi (Red Velvet) Seated one row below Nayeon and Jihyo were Red Velvet members Irene and Seulgi. The Monster singers were spotted cheering for Blackpink several times during the concert. They, too, received cooling patches from Nayeon and Jihyo. 4. Babymonster YG Entertainment labelmates, Babymonster, showed that they got the Hot Sauce as they danced to many Blackpink hits, including How You Like That and Boombayah. 5. Minnie (I-dle) Seated near Babymonster was I-dle member Minnie. The Thai-born singer was spotted dancing along with fellow countrywoman Pharita to Rose's smash hit Apt. 6. Mingyu, Jeonghan, The8 (Seventeen) Also present at the same section as Minnie and Babymonster were Seventeen members Mingyu, Jeonghan and The8. 7. Le Sserafim Seated at the floor section, Le Sserafim undoubtedly had some of the best views among attendees. In addition to jumping and dancing about during the concert, the quintet also interacted with fans and posed for photos with them. Following Blackpink's concert, the members of Le Sserafim took to the fan platform Weverse DM to share their experience there, saying that they lost their voices and had "so much fun". 8. Lee Min-ho Popular K-drama star Lee Min-ho is set to star alongside Blackpink member Jisoo in the upcoming film Omniscient Reader. 9. The cast of Snowdrop View this post on Instagram A post shared by 윤세아 (@loveyoonsea) Speaking of co-stars, the cast members of Jisoo's debut drama Snowdrop were also in attendance. These include her leading man Jung Hae-in, Heo Nam-jun and Yoon Se-ah. 10. Jung Ho-yeon The Squid Game star was mostly incognito at the concert. On Monday morning (Jul 7), she took to Instagram to share her view of the stage during Blackpink's performance. Blackpink's Deadline concert saw the group performing both classic hits and the solo tracks of its four members: Jisoo, Jennie, Rose and Lisa. The concert also marked the debut performance of Blackpink's new single, Jump, which is scheduled to be released soon.
CNA
an hour ago
- CNA
Actor and radio DJ Marcus Chin was worried he might have heart attack during Star Awards Top 10 win
When veteran actor and radio DJ Marcus Chin went on stage to accept his fifth Top 10 Most Popular Award at the Star Awards Sunday night (Jul 6), we couldn't help but notice he looked a little pale. It turns out the 71-year-old had been experiencing heart palpitations moments before his name was announced. Having suffered a heart attack in October last year, Chin admitted he was 'scared' about what might happen. 'The first name called out wasn't mine, neither was the second, third… so my heart beat [sic] very fast and I felt discomfort and a lot of pressure,' he told backstage. He was the seventh actor to be announced. 'Even when I was standing on stage, my heart was still beating very fast. It only calmed down after I gave my speech and sat down,' he shared. Chin noted that he never used to feel this way during past wins, but big events like awards shows and performances now trigger stress for him. Just a week ago, Chin sparked health concerns when his gums bled when he was giving a speech during the Resilient Hearts 2025 charity show. The bleeding was a side effect of his heart medication. 'So if I win again next year, please call my name first,' he joked. As for what was going through his mind on stage? 'I was worried I would forget my acceptance speech. I spoke more quickly this time 'cos I was worried I would run out of time and miss out on my punchline – thanking the two women in my life: [Mediacorp] CEO and the woman who has been [supporting] me, my girlfriend May,' he laughed. 'We live together, and she is the one looking after me. Not that she wants to stick to me all the time, but she is worried that something will happen to me, so she is always by my side.'
CNA
an hour ago
- CNA
Nissan Motor eyes $4 billion in bond sales, term sheet shows
SYDNEY :Japan's Nissan Motor is eyeing $4 billion worth of dollar and euro senior unsecured bond issuances, according to term sheet reviewed by Reuters. The car maker is looking at a five-, seven- and 10-year dollar bond deal to raise a minimum of at least $750 million in each tranche. Prospective investors have been told the five-year tranche would have a coupon in the mid-7 per cent area, the seven-year tranche would be in the high 7 per cent area while the longer-dated tranche would be in the low 8 per cent area, the term sheet said. Nissan is also looking at a four and eight-year Euro issuance with a minimum size of 500 million euro ($588.40 million) in each tranche. Pricing guidance has been set at high-5 per cent for the four-year and high-6 per cent for eight-year bond, the term sheet said. Nissan said it also planned a 150 billion yen ($1.04 billion) six-year convertible bond. ($1 = 0.8498 euros) ($1 = 144.7900 yen)
