Shanghai tourism stacks higher as LEGOLAND joins theme park lineup

Families have continued flocking to Shanghai this summer to experience the city's world-class theme park attractions, including the newly opened LEGOLAND Shanghai Resort, China's first and the world's largest LEGOLAND park.

The city's booming tourism sector has greatly benefited from the allure of these parks, and the intellectual properties they bring to life. While the long-standing Shanghai Disneyland is still pulling in crowds, the new LEGOLAND is proving its draw for curious kids.

"My brother is a big fan of Lego, so we've come to this park in Shanghai," said a young visitor.

Christopher Sacco, head of operations at LEGOLAND Shanghai Resort, emphasized that park visitors have shown overwhelming enthusiasm.

"It's been really exciting since we opened on July 5th. We've had people visiting from all over China, and it's been so busy, and the kids have been so happy and excited. It's been awesome. Our parks are designed for families, for children aged 2 to 12. So we have rides and attractions that are really built specifically for them," said Sacco.

Meanwhile, the success of merchandise sales demonstrates how parks like this have become an economic powerhouse for Shanghai.

"Some of our bestsellers are the popcorn bucket, and Ollie the Dragon -- he comes in a plush toy, also key chain. He's doing really well. And you can build your own mini figure in the stores. You can customize all the pieces. So those are doing really well," Sacco said.

The city has been betting billions on fun. U.S. entertainment company Warner Bros is set to launch a Making of Harry Potter studio tour in Shanghai in 2027. Meanwhile, according to toy and game company Hasbro and Max-Matching Entertainments Co., Ltd., Asia's first and the world's largest Peppa Pig outdoor theme park will also open in Shanghai in the same year.

Last year, the city smashed records, registering 390 million domestic visitors, 6.7 million international tourists, and a staggering 576 billion yuan (about 80 billion U.S. dollars) in tourism revenue.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney arrived in Beijing on Wednesday for an official visit to China through Saturday.

This visit marks the first trip to China by a Canadian Prime Minister in eight years.

When briefing on the visit of Carney, a Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson said China looks forward to taking this visit as an opportunity to enhance dialogue and communication, increase political mutual trust, expand practical cooperation, properly manage differences, address each other's concerns and consolidate the momentum of improvement in China-Canada relations to bring greater benefit for the two peoples.