China's first Legoland opens in Shanghai

The country's first Legoland amusement park opened Saturday in Shanghai in eastern China, making it the world's largest, Reuters reported. Thousands of people attended the event despite the ongoing heatwave.

The amusement park features thousands of structures built from over 85 million Lego bricks; the entire park area covers an area of ​​almost 320,000 square meters.

Lego CEO Niels B. Christiansen was quoted by Reuters as saying the new center would be an “integral part” of Lego’s presence in China and would “contribute to Shanghai’s economic recovery.”

Thousands of Shanghai residents and tourists attended the opening of Legoland despite a heatwave that forced authorities to issue an orange, second-highest weather warning. Temperatures were forecast to top 37 degrees Celsius on Saturday.

“Lego enthusiasts from across China flocked to Shanghai for the opening, prompting a surge in hotel bookings,” local Chinese media reported.

According to official data cited by the AFP agency, the domestic tourism market grew by 18.6 percent in the first quarter compared to last year despite China's slow economic growth in recent years. (PAP)

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