Transformation into a tourism destination draws international investment to Zhuhai’s Hengqin island

When Begona Sanz, the deputy managing director of Real Madrid soccer club, visited Hengqin island in Zhuhai in February, she was impressed by the number of tourists flocking to the Chimelong Ocean Kingdom theme park, its sole attraction.

“They were shocked to see Chimelong Ocean Kingdom so jam packed,” said Larry Leung, the senior vice-president of business development (Hengqin) at Hong Kong-listed Lai Fung Holdings. The theme park attracted 8.5 million visitors in 2016, an increase of 13.2 per cent since it opened in 2014.

Sanz was part of a three-member team that had flown in from Spain to view the latest developments on the island – billed as the “Orlando of China” – that is next to Macau.

In September, the Spanish soccer club signed an agreement with Lai Fung Holdings to operate an indoor interactive soccer experience centre in Hengqin, its first investment on the mainland. The 1.2 hectare centre, expected to open in 2021, will be included in phase two of Lai Fung’s Novotown, a cultural and entertainment attraction under development.

Hengqin is being transformed into a tourism destination for mainlanders and overseas travellers. Zhuhai is among 11 cities in the “Greater Bay Area” identified by the Chinese government in March for further development, and international investors have been quick to turn their attention to Hengqin.