Chinese Theme Park Chain 'Happy Valley' Officially Opened In Beijing (Photo : Getty Images)
Chinese entertainment giant Dalian Wanda does not only want to be the powerhouse of Hollywood blockbuster movies in China but also the theme park king.
To beat Disneyland, Wang Jianlin, the richest man in China and chairman of the Dalian Wanda Group, announced on Friday the company entered a deal with Jinan officials for Dalian Wanda to build a $9.5-billion tourism and sports complex, Fortune reported.
Called Jinan Wanda City, it would have hotels and a theme park, and begin ground-breaking ceremonies in 2017 while Dalian Wanda plans it to be operational by 2021. With a target of 20 million visitors a year, the theme park is expected to create 20,000 jobs and boost the tax collection of Jinan City.
It would be the first Dalian Wanda project to emphasize sports since Wang has invested in football clubs and sports media globally, reported Reuters.
It would be the 13th of Dalian Wanda’s planned 15 theme parks throughout China which Wang believes would cause the Shanghai Disneyland to ultimately fail, reported Fortune. He compares Dalian Wanda’s upcoming theme parks to a pack of wolves which could easily overpower a tiger, alluding to the Shanghai Disneyland.
In early 2016, Dalian Wanda bought for $3.5 billion Legendary Entertainment which produced Jurassic World.
