Shanghai Legoland begins construction

Construction of the Legoland Shanghai in Fengjing town, Jinshan district, southwestern Shanghai started on Wednesday.

The resort, which covers an area of 318,000 square kilometers, is expected to be open to the public in 2024. Its investors include Shanghai Jinshan Urban Construction Investment Group, Danish investment company KIRKBI, which owns the Lego Group, Merlin Entertainments from the United Kingdom, and CMC Inc, a Chinese media and entertainment enterprise.

The resort will feature eight themed zones, including iconic attractions and rides of Legoland resorts around the world. A theme hotel will be constructed as well.

Among the theme zones is Monkie Kid, which is inspired by the classic Chinese novel Journey to the Westwritten by Wu Cheng'en in the 16th century during the Ming Dynasty (1368 to 1644).

The novel revolves around the adventures of a Buddhist monk who travels west with his three disciples, including the Monkey King, in search of Buddhist sutras.

"We will offer visitors interactive experiences that integrate international and Chinese culture in the resort," said Chen Jie, general manager of Legoland Shanghai Resort, at the groundbreaking ceremony.

The Jinshan district government plans to renovate roads and build a parking area with more than 6,000 lots to enhance the visitor experience. Transportation and accommodation conditions will be improved as well by introducing 14 bus lines to the park and around five hotels in the resort.