The Legoland Shanghai Resort officially opened on Saturday, marking it as both China’s first Legoland and the largest Legoland park in the world at its debut. This milestone highlights the brand’s strong confidence in the Chinese market, according to a senior executive from Merlin Entertainments.
Located in Shanghai’s Jinshan district, the massive 318,000-square-meter resort features eight themed zones, over 75 interactive rides, shows, and attractions, along with thousands of Lego models constructed using more than 85 million bricks.
John Jakobsen, chief strategic portfolio development officer at Merlin Entertainments, emphasized the company’s optimism about China’s potential, pointing out that 55 million people live within a two-hour radius of the resort. He also noted China’s status as the second-largest theme park market globally and the increasing value Chinese consumers place on Lego’s creative and educational qualities.
The resort includes several distinctly Chinese cultural elements. Key attractions include the world’s first live Lego Monkie Kid show—based on the Chinese literary classic Journey to the West—and a boat tour showcasing detailed Lego recreations of traditional water towns and modern Shanghai landscapes, scaled up 25 times.
At the heart of the resort is Legoland Creative World, which houses Dada, the largest Lego minifigure ever created. This towering figure stands 26 meters high and weighs 136 metric tons.
Jakobsen highlighted the uniqueness of the Miniland section, which features iconic Chinese landmarks built entirely from Lego. He praised the integration of Chinese intellectual properties like Monkie Kid and the culturally inspired water town ride.
Merlin Entertainments CEO Fiona Eastwood added that the company’s deep understanding of local consumer preferences, combined with over a decade of operational experience in China, made it possible to design Legoland Shanghai as a premier theme park and hotel destination tailored to the Chinese market.
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