How big Shanghai Disneyland will ultimately become remains a pressing question, after Beijing announced that only 116 hectares had been reserved for the city's long-coveted theme park.
The announcement raised eyebrows, as the space represents only a quarter of the 4 sq km, or 400 hectares, reported when Shanghai unveiled its plan for the mega project three weeks ago.
So officially, Shanghai Disneyland will be smaller than its Hong Kong rival, which covers 126 hectares. But as time goes by, Shanghai could become the biggest.
Two Shanghai government officials with the knowledge of the matter said that the statement by the National Development and Reform Commission referred only to the first phase of construction, and that there would be future expansion.
Admitting that details of the project had yet to be finalised, one Pudong district government official said that the Shanghai park would definitely outgrow its Hong Kong counterpart.
It may boil down to tactics that the mainland is adopting to nurture the growth of its own Magic Kingdom.
