Chongqing continues to build its reputation as the country’s red capital, as plans for a 128-hectare Red Classic Theme Park were announced, according to a report in the Chongqing Evening News on Tuesday.
Chen Xiaofeng, CEO of the Chongqing Red Classic Investment, said at Monday’s signing ceremony with the Nanchuan district government that his company will invest 2.5 billion yuan ($386.5 million) to build the park, which would be completed in five years, according to the report.
“It is only a framework agreement between the district government and a private enterprise. The capital will all come from the enterprise, and the local government will not pay a penny,” Li Jing, the deputy director of the Nanchuan District Publicity Department, told the Global Times on Tuesday.
The park will be built in Nanchuan and consists of three zones: a performing zone, topics zone and business zone. Buildings in the park will display a large map of China’s territory, the report said.
According to the program, the performing zone will feature a semi-closed theater that can seat 2,100 spectators, and a 1,949-square-meter national flag made with special materials will fly above it.
Four other large flags will be featured – a 1,921-square-meter Party flag, an 810-square-meter army flag, a 1,922-square-meter Communist Youth League flag and a 1,949-square-meter Chinese Young Pioneers flag.
“These five flags will set new Guinness World Records, and will play major roles in passing on red culture and enhancing the sense of national pride,” Chen was quoted as saying.
Before July 1 next year, spectators will be able to enjoy a two-hour large-scale Red China music and dance gala to demonstrate the glorious history of the leadership of the Communist Party of China from 1921 to the present day in the theater, Chen said.
However, some experts have raised questions over the park’s cost-effectiveness.
“There are lots of squares and monuments with a similar theme in Chong-qing. Is the construction of a new theme park going to benefit the city and its people?” Liu Lingling, a financial expert at the School of Economics and Management of Tsinghua University, said to the Global Times on Tuesday.
“It’s a huge investment. Public participation is needed. The public should be allowed to take part in decision-making,” Liu said.
Shen Wangshu, deputy director of the Institute of Capital Cultural Development at the Beijing Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Tuesday that he was not surprised to see Chongqing construct the theme park, since it has become famous for red tourism.
“Of all the theme parks around the world, more than half of them had to close due to poor management,” he said. “Only 10 percent of them managed to make profits and 30 percent broke even. I think the situation is even worse in China.”
“It will be quite difficult to manage more than 10 million visitors annually, as well as the maintenance cost,” Shen added.
Li said that as the details of the program, such as the location and timeline, have not been drawn up, the economic returns and its impact on the district are still unclear.
Source: Global Times