World’s biggest LEGOLAND resort officially opens in Shanghai

China

World’s biggest LEGOLAND resort officially opens in Shanghai

2025-07-05 17:09 Last Updated At：18:07

LEGOLAND Shanghai Resort, the largest LEGOLAND in the world, officially opened its gates on Saturday, drawing excited visitors from all around to have fun here, with some of the most popular attractions seeing wait times of over 90 minutes.

The scorching summer heat failed to hold back the enthusiastic visitors who are eager to be among the first to experience the long-awaited theme park.

"We're so excited! Ever since we heard from TV news that the LEGOLAND was about to open, my son has been saying we need to come. We managed to get tickets for the first batch", said a visitor.

"We've been looking forward to this for a long time. My children have finished their exams, and it's the weekend, so we took the first train this morning from Jiaxing," said another visitor from east China's Zhejiang Province.

Spanning 318,000 square meters, LEGOLAND Shanghai Resort is the 11th LEGOLAND Resort globally and the first one in China.

Designed specifically for children aged 2 to 12 and their families, the resort features eight themed areas, including "LEGOLAND Imagination Zone" and "LEGO Monkey King," offering over 75 interactive rides, shows and attractions as well as thousands of LEGO models built from more than 85 million LEGO bricks. Several of the attractions are global debuts, designed specifically for Chinese visitors.

Inside DADA, the world's biggest LEGO Minifigure at a height of 26 meters and weighing 136 tons, is a colorful land featuring over 22 million LEGO bricks. Visitors can observe the LEGO recreations of iconic Chinese landmarks, including the skyscrapers of Lujiazui in Shanghai, the majestic Hall of Supreme Harmony in Beijing's Forbidden City, the picturesque villages of southern Anhui, and the ancient city wall of the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) in east China's Nanjing.

Visitors can also get hands-on and build their own LEGO scenes.

"At first, I thought there were just displays. Then I saw people actually building with LEGO bricks, and I joined in too. It's really fun!" said a tourist.

John Jakobsen, the chief strategic portfolio development officer at Merlin Entertainments, the resort's operator, expressed strong confidence in the Chinese market.

"Hundreds, literally, of model designers from around the world have put all these fantastic LEGO models together. We have high confidence in the Chinese market. It's the second biggest theme park market in the world. It's a very big market also for LEGO," he said.

To provide a well-rounded visitor experience, a LEGOLAND-themed hotel was built next to the park, offering 250 uniquely designed rooms. There is also a commercial complex with 122 shops outside the park, combining dining, lodging, retail, and entertainment services for visitors.

Iranian president says government focusing on ensuring supplies amid protests

The Iranian government is focusing on public concerns and maintaining stable supplies of essential goods amid recent protests, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said in a televised interview on Sunday.

In the city of Karaj, northwest of the capital Tehran, daily life has largely continued as normal. A video filmed by a local resident on Sunday shows food stores open and grocery shelves fully stocked.

"This is the block near my home, and there are some food stores here. Daily life continues here. Last night we did not see many protests in Karaj. Right now the city is very safe. This is a grocery store close to my home. All the food is available; nothing is in shortage. Here are noodles and different types of beans. Here are dairy products, cheese, and yogurt. I also checked other grocery stores and didn't see any shortages. Everything is available," said local resident Ali Reza.

Iranian officials have described recent disturbances as acts orchestrated by the "enemy," including some carried out by well-trained and armed "terrorists." The incidents have caused casualties among security personnel and civilians, as well as property damage.

The Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council Ali Larijani has directed authorities to severely punish the "terrorists."

Meanwhile, Iran's police chief Ahmad-Reza Radan said on Sunday that the police had raised alert levels and arrested several leaders of the troublemakers during the operations on Saturday.

President Pezeshkian noted in the interview that the normal demands of the Iranian people are reasonable and justified, but they must realize that triggering riots and carrying out terrorist acts are the enemy's attempts to undermine the country. He urged the public to remain vigilant.

Also on Sunday, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf warned that Tehran would regard U.S. and Israeli bases and facilities in the Middle East as "legitimate targets" if Washington takes military action against Iran. His remarks followed media reports saying U.S. President Donald Trump is "seriously considering authorizing a strike" against Iran.

Iranian state media reported that at least 109 members of Iran's security forces have been killed in clashes since the protests began 14 days ago. Meanwhile, human rights groups based outside the country said the number of protesters killed has exceeded 200, though the figure could not be independently verified.

The protests initially erupted over a sharp depreciation of the rial and sweeping subsidy reforms. Iranian authorities have blamed the unrest on foreign-linked agents and sanctions imposed by the United States.