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Opinion | Five of China's strangest theme parks
SCMP.com's picks for five of China's quirkiest and most bizarre amusement parks
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China is a land filled with famous landmarks, and these marvels range from ancient monuments like Tiananmen Square to modern architectural achievements such as the world’s largest building.
But for recreation-seekers and lovers of the quirky and bizarre, there’s another reason to visit the Middle Kingdom: to see China’s numerous theme parks, which are in a class all by themselves. While Disney Land has made inroads into China, first in Hong Kong and soon in an upcoming Shanghai resort, the majority of the country’s amusement parks are of the home-grown variety. They range from Disney rip-offs to impressive city recreations.
The following are SCMP.com’s picks for China’s five oddest theme parks. With Shanghai Disney Resort not set to open until 2015, there’s plenty of time to visit them all.
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5. Window of the World – Shenzhen
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The Window of the World is a theme park that offers exactly what its name suggests – a chance for visitors to take an intimate look at 130 of the world’s tourist attractions without leaving China. Re-creations of Italy’s Colosseum, Egypt’s pyramids and Cambodia’s Angkor Wat are only a few of the spectacles on display here, all towering under the shadow of a 108 metre high replica Eiffel Tower. The park has inspired imitators, including a younger cousin in the north called Beijing World Park. Despite the competition, Window of the World remains one of the earliest and most well-known destinations for “foreign landmark sightseeing” in China.
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