In Xi'an, Shaanxi province, Chang'an Twelve Hours, a themed cultural area, has turned a former shopping mall into an immersive setting inspired by the Tang Dynasty (618-907) and the television drama The Longest Day. Streets and market stalls evoke the period, while visitors can don Tang-style clothing, play traditional games, compose poems, and solve mysteries.
Yao points to these attractions as examples of how cultural themes can become experiences rather than simply decoration.
He also points out that the idea of giving visitors new worlds to explore has also helped revitalize established international parks.
Universal Studios Japan in Osaka opened in 2001 and has added major attractions without expanding its roughly 54-hectare footprint. The Wizarding World of Harry Potter opened in 2014, followed by Super Nintendo World in 2021, built on land previously used for parking and storage.
Annual attendance rose from about 8.2 million in 2010 to 16 million in 2024, according to industry figures.
For Yao, the example shows how new experiences can bring growth without continually expanding a park's physical boundaries.
