Asia's first Peppa Pig theme park to open in Shanghai

(Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn)

The world's largest and Asia's first Peppa Pig outdoor theme park will be located in northern Shanghai's Chongming district and is scheduled to open doors to the public in 2027, according to its investor and operator.

The park, with an investment of more than 2.4 billion yuan ($331.16 million), will cover an area of 290 mu (about 193,333 square meters) in Changxing Island in the Chongming district, according to the toy and game company Hasbro and Max-Matching Entertainments Co Ltd during a ceremony held in Shanghai on Wednesday.

"The Peppa Pig outdoor theme park will further enhance Shanghai's attraction as a global tourism destination, and serve as a new driver for propelling its economy," said Cai Xiaofei, a deputy director of the Changxing Island Administrative Committee.

"Shanghai has always been committed to offering local people as well as tourists home and abroad diversified tourism products and high-quality cultural and traveling experiences," said Cai.

Entering China in 2015, the British preschool cartoon series Peppa Pig has garnered a large fan base, and the popularity of the pig cartoon characters may make the theme park become another iconic scenic spot of the city.

Matt Proulx, senior vice-president of global experiences, partnerships and music at Hasbro, said the Peppa Pig outdoor theme park in Shanghai was an important milestone for their group's development in China. And he expected to bring Peppa Pig outdoor theme parks to more Chinese cities for Chinese children and families to enjoy in the future.

The park will fully demonstrate regional cultural characteristics and bear innovative features including a theme park, a theme hotel, an immersive experience, catering and dining that tailored for Chinese families, said Zhao Yang, president of Max-Matching Entertainments.

So far, many new theme parks are being constructed or in planned in Shanghai.

Construction of the Legoland Shanghai Resort has reached its halfway mark, and is going to launch trial operation in the spring of 2025.

In the meantime, Shanghai Disney Resort plans to introduce another separately themed attraction within Shanghai Disneyland, adjacent to the Zootopia area.