Work is set to begin at the long-awaited Shanghai Disney theme park, with the municipal government and the US-based entertainment giant to hold a ground-breaking ceremony on Friday.
The 24.5 billion yuan (HK$29.13 billion) project, which has been the subject of negotiations for more than a decade, was given final approval by the State Council in November 2009 and is scheduled to open in 2015.
The announcement comes as a month-long public consultation on zoning plans for the park and its attached resorts and entertainment district on the southeastern outskirts of the city enters its final days.
Disney issued invitations to a 'special event' at the Shanghai Kerry Hotel Pudong on Friday morning, in collaboration with the Administrative Commission of Shanghai International Tourism and Resorts Zone and the Shanghai Shendi Group.
The commission is a municipal government body established in November to oversee construction of the park and its connected tourism zone, and Shendi is Disney's local partner in the joint venture.
The invitation does not specify the purpose of the event, but states that 'a large number of participants' are expected to attend.