Wonderlands reopening in Shanghai

Entertainment and tourist sites in Shanghai are gradually reopening gates following a two-month closure due to the recent COVID-19 resurgence, signaling the city's business activities are steadily moving back on track.

Several establishments within the Shanghai Disney Resort will resume operations on June 10, the company said on Thursday. The iconic theme park Shanghai Disneyland will remain closed until further notice.

Wishing Star Park, the World of Disney Store and Blue Sky Boulevard are scheduled to reopen on Friday at limited capacity and with reduced operation hours, the Shanghai Disney Resort announced on its official WeChat account.

The giant floating Donald Duck in his signature sailor outfit will greet guests at the Wishing Star Lake.

Shanghai Disneyland, Disneytown and the two resort hotels remain closed until further notice, it added.

New epidemic control and prevention measures will also be implemented. All guests, regardless of age, are required to present a green Shanghai health QR(quick response) code and show proof that they have a negative result from a nucleic acid test taken within 72 hours before entering the resort.

Visitors will also be required to scan the venue's QR code before entering the site. Temperature screening and wearing masks are mandatory. Sanitization and disinfection will be increased and strengthened throughout the resort.

Starting June 1, grade A tourism facilities that are outdoors or where outdoor resources account for at least 50 percent of the total area can open their doors to the public in Shanghai, the city's culture and tourism administration said in early June.

The first batch of tourist locations includes The Oriental Pearl TV Tower, Century Park, Fengjing Ancient Town and Sheshan National Forest Park.

More tourist spots in Shanghai, including Happy Valley and Ocean Park, reopened to the public on June 3, the first day of the three-day Dragon Boat Festival holiday.

Major theme resort Happy Valley Shanghai officially reopened its doors on Friday with the daily tourist limit set at 75 percent of the maximum capacity following an 81-day closure. Happy Valley said it will offer free travel for medical staff nationwide until Dec 31 as a tribute to their contribution to the battle against the epidemic.

Shanghai Haichang Ocean Park was also reopened on Friday. Between Friday and June 10, the park will offer free admission, with a cap of 5,000 visitors daily.

More than 40 tourist attractions in the city have announced their reopening on the online travel platform Ctrip, per the online travel agency. The most popular travel spots are those close to nature such as forest parks, zoos and botanical gardens, Ctrip said.

In addition, the average daily bookings at Shanghai Happy Valley and Shanghai Wildlife Park have increased by more than seven and four times, respectively, compared with March levels.

The municipal government has released new measures to boost the recovery of the tourism sector, including guiding financial institutions to increase loan quotas and lower interest rates for tourism-related projects as well as expanding support from the city's special fund for tourism development for both vendors and major attractions.