Hangzhou to introduce world-class theme parks

Hangzhou, capital of Zhejiang province, plans to build world-class theme parks in the city to promote the high-quality development of its cultural and tourism industry, according to the local authorities.

A response to a proposal about the theme park construction was released on the Hangzhou government website in early November. It notes that several work groups were established to introduce large theme parks to the riverside area along the Xin'an, Fuchun, and Qiantang rivers. At the same time, the Hangzhou Municipal Investment Promotion Bureau has conducted extensive research on the world's top theme parks to better promote the theme park project.

According to the response, Hangzhou has approached and contacted several theme parks, including Disneyland and Universal Studios, and it will cooperate with the French theme park Puy du Fou.

The target of promoting high-quality growth of cultural and tourism industry was mentioned in the work report in March.

In March, Hangzhou signed a 5-billion-yuan ($687 million) contract with Puy du Fou to construct a new riverside theme park.

"We feel very privileged to enter China, our first country in Asia. It's a massive opportunity for two reasons. First, the stories of China are almost endless. There are a lot of things that we can create our shows about. And of course, the market size," said Joseph Corbo, COO and CPO of Puy du Fou Asia, at the 2023 TravelDaily Conference held in Shanghai in September.

Established in 1978, Puy du Fou is a historic theme park in the extensive grounds of the ruins of an old renaissance castle in France. The park features an immersive environment and live shows.