HAVING secured the land use rights for the site, Hong Kong-listed Haichang Holdings is set to begin work on its latest entertainment complex that will come up in Shanghai in 2017.
Shanghai Haichang Polar Ocean World is the theme park operator’s ninth facility and will be built on a 29.7ha piece of land to occupy 19ha in total gross floor area, said Haichang in a press statement.
Blending “entertainment, ecology and the scientific”, the theme park will feature a world-class marine theme park showcasing animals from the North and South Poles, a themed resort hotel, 13 exhibition halls, four animal interaction plazas, four large cinemas, 18 rides, and other entertainment options.
The theme park, situated beside Dishui Lake in Lingang New City, Nahui District, is about a one-and-a-half-hour drive from downtown Shanghai and half an hour from the Pudong International Airport. Shanghai Disney Resort, which opens this year, is also a 30-minute drive away.
Qu Naijie, chairman of Haichang Holdings, said the opening of the theme park would give the company a strategic foothold in East China. “Considering the geographic location of Shanghai, this project will also enable Haichang Holdings to open up the regional markets of East Asia, and eventually step onto the world arena,” he said in a statement.
Haichang has engaged international companies that have participated in Disney and SeaWorld projects to work on the park’s concept development.
Despite the theme park operator’s professed commitment to “world-class” standards, it remains to be seen if travellers, now increasingly aware of issues of animal welfare and conservation, will take the bait.
SeaWorld reported significant losses in earnings and visitor figures last year.
