C¥10bn BBC theme park planned for China
by Tom Anstey | 28 Sep 2016
Luneng Group – an offshoot of the State Grid Corporation of China – will use the BBC’s Top Gear and BBC Earth IPs for the new venture / BBC
The BBC is teaming up with real estate developer Luneng Group to develop an amusement and leisure park on the island of Wenchang in the South China Sea at a cost of C¥10bn (US$1.5bn, €1.34bn, £1.15bn).
Luneng Group – an offshoot of the State Grid Corporation of China – will use the BBC’s Top Gear and BBC Earth IPs for the new venture, which is expected to attract five million visitors a year when it opens in 2019.
Covering 400,000sq m (4.3 million sq ft), details are sparse on what will be included in the giant park, but Luneng has confirmed the venture will feature a traditional theme park and a C¥1bn (US$15m, (€13.4m, £11.5m) waterpark by Proslide.
"I think nothing in the world would be similar to our Top Gear and BBC Earth concepts,” said Stephen Davies, BBC Worldwide's director of live entertainment. “It’s something which brings all areas of the world into one place, so in your visit, you experience the whole earth in one day."
Commenting on the plans, Zhou Tao, executive director of Luneng Commerce and Tourism, said that the plans fall in line with China’s theme park boom, especially in an area “hungry to be entertained”. He also said that the plans would drive the local economy, generating employment, encouraging extended visitor stays and encouraging international tourists to visit the region.
BBC theme park Top Gear BBC Earth visitor attraction China Luneng Group09 Oct 2015
Exclusive: Designers Forrec are creating a Top Gear attraction for BBC Worldwide
07 Sep 2015
BBC Ideas Service will make Britain 'the greatest cultural force in the world'
The BBC is teaming up with real estate developer Luneng Group to develop an amusement and leisure park on the island of Wenchang in the South China Sea at a cost of C¥10bn (US$1.5bn, €1.34bn, £1.15bn). Luneng Group – an offshoot of the State Grid Corporation of China – will use the BBC’s Top Gear and BBC Earth IPs for the new venture, which is expected to attract five million
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