Mystery hangs over Shanghai's Magic Kingdom

The towers of Disney's planned Magic Kingdom in Shanghai are wreathed in scaffolding and mystery after the US entertainment giant pushed back the opening of its first mainland China theme park to next year.

On a tightly guarded 3.9 sq km site east of the city, a grey turret of the unfinished "Enchanted Storybook Castle" rises skyward.

There is no Disney branding at the main entrance, only a sign reading "Shanghai International Tourism and Resort Zone". It was originally due to be transformed in time to open this year, but Disney chairman and chief executive Bob Iger last week announced the opening would be delayed to next spring.

He attributed the change to an expansion in the park's size and number of attractions.

"The artistry, complexity, the magnitude and the detail, it's all quite astonishing," Iger said, calling the facility "spectacular".

But Shanghai authorities have not confirmed any plans to expand the project, and people familiar with it point to it following stricter environmental and labour standards than normal on the mainland.