China's first Legoland resort opens

The Legoland Shanghai Resort opened its doors on Saturday and became China's first and the world's largest Legoland at launch, underscoring the brand's confidence in the Chinese market according to a senior executive with Merlin Entertainments.

The 318,000-square-meter resort in Shanghai's Jinshan district boasts eight themed lands with more than 75 interactive rides, shows and attractions, as well as thousands of models built using over 85 million Lego bricks.

"We have huge confidence in the Chinese market and its strengths, with 55 million people living within a two-hour drive of the resort," said John Jakobsen, chief strategic portfolio development officer of Merlin Entertainments, which operates the resort. He noted China's position as the world's second-largest theme park market and Chinese consumers' growing appreciation for Lego's educational and creative values.

The resort integrates distinctive Chinese elements throughout. Signature attractions include the world's first Lego Monkie Kid live show, inspired by the Chinese classic novel Journey to the West, and a boat tour featuring miniature versions of Chinese water towns and modern Shanghai cityscapes built from Lego bricks at 25 times magnification. At the center of the park, Legoland Creative World features the largest-ever Lego minifigure, Dada, standing 26 meters tall and weighing 136 metric tons.

"We have unique features in Miniland that showcase the highlights of China replicated in Lego bricks. We have found fantastic Chinese IPs like Monkie Kid, and we have the boat tour ride inspired by the water towns in this region," Jakobsen said.

Fiona Eastwood, CEO of Merlin Entertainments, said the company's understanding of Chinese consumers and its experience operating in China for more than a decade enabled it to create Legoland Shanghai as "the ultimate theme park and hotel destination."

Niels B. Christiansen, president and CEO of the Lego Group, expressed optimism on the resort's role in enhancing the company's presence in China, complementing its retail network and brand events.

"I look forward to Legoland Shanghai becoming a new cultural landmark for family interaction and bringing unique joy to all Lego fans in China and beyond," Christiansen said.

A mother who traveled from Shandong province with her 8-year-old daughter shared their excitement about visiting on opening day.

"My daughter loves Lego, and we particularly wanted to experience the opening day activities," she said. "The indoor attractions, especially Miniland, are very appealing."

To mark the launch, the resort is hosting a "Grand Opening Week" through July 13, featuring themed decorations, immersive experiences and exclusive offers. Daily welcome shows are being held at Lego Plaza, giving visitors opportunities to interact with Legoland characters.

The resort also includes 10 retail outlets, six themed restaurants and a Legoland Hotel offering character meet-and-greets and nightly activities.

Construction of the resort began in November 2021, with more than 10,000 workers from 300 teams across 15 countries involved in the project.

Zhuang Jian, chairman of the Shanghai New Jinshan Investment Holding Group Co, said the resort has brought advanced international theme park management concepts and cultural connotations, injecting new vitality into the tourism market in Jinshan and Shanghai.

Following Shanghai Disneyland, Legoland is the city's second world-class entertainment theme park. US entertainment company Warner Bros is also set to launch a Making of Harry Potter studio tour at Shanghai's Jinjiang Action Park in 2027, the first of its kind in China and the third globally.