Classic London toy retailer delights children in Nanjing

For decades, Hamleys, on London's Regent Street, did battle with FAO Schwarz, based on New York's Fifth Avenue, for the title of world's most prestigious toy store.

Now, just a little more than a year after FAO Schwarz closed its doors for good, a victim of soaring rents, Hamleys has gained a new lease on life under Chinese ownership - the opening of a massive new superstore in Nanjing, Jiangsu province, timed to coincide with China's National Day holiday, which began on Saturday.

Plans were also announced for more than 100 new stores throughout China in cities including Beijing and Shanghai.