SHENZHEN, China, Aug. 30, 2021 /PRNewswire/ -- Merlin Entertainments ("Merlin" or "the Company"), a global leader in location-based entertainment, today announces that construction of the world's largest LEGOLAND® Resort in Shenzhen has begun. Representatives from the Shenzhen Municipal People's Government, Dapeng New District, Merlin Entertainments Ltd., The LEGO® Group and Hazens Holdings attended a launch ceremony which featured the arrival on site of 20,000 brightly coloured LEGO® bricks.
Located on the Dapeng Peninsula, on the eastern edge of Shenzhen, the LEGOLAND® Shenzhen Resort will be the first international IP-based family entertainment theme park resort in the Greater Bay Area, covering approximately 580,000 square meters and exclusively operated by Merlin Entertainments, with Hazens Holdings as its local partner. The total project investment is expected to be over $1.08 billion (7 billion RMB) and the park is due to open in 2024.
Merlin currently operates 13 Midway attractions in China, including three LEGOLAND® Discovery Centres, five Madame Tussauds, SEA LIFE Centres, The Dungeons, Peppa Pig World of Play and Little BIG City in Beijing.
Nick Varney, Chief Executive of Merlin Entertainments, commented:
"Construction of the world's largest LEGOLAND® Resort in Shenzhen marks a significant milestone for Merlin in China, reflecting the scale of opportunity in the country and our commitment to developing our business in China. This forms part of Merlin's broader strategy, alongside developing exciting attractions in partnership with some of the world's most popular brands.
The Shenzhen LEGOLAND® Resort will be a must-see destination for millions of families looking to experience the magic of LEGO® in China. We have already had great success with our immersive LEGOLAND® attractions around the world and look forward to working with our partners to make the Shenzhen resort a reality."
The LEGOLAND® Shenzhen Resort will be the ultimate LEGO® theme park and hotel destination for children aged 2-12 and their families, catering for visitors looking for multi-day breaks and offering more than nine themed areas, as well as over 100 interactive rides, shows and attractions. The resort will also include the largest LEGOLAND® Water Park and three LEGOLAND® themed hotels, with over 1,000 LEGO® themed rooms.
Speaking at the event, Mr. Siegfried Boerst, General Manager of the LEGOLAND® Shenzhen Resort, added:
"While maintaining the authentic LEGOLAND® experience, there will be innovative designs, new themed areas, rides and immersive shows launched for the China market.
The LEGOLAND® Shenzhen Resort will integrate the history, culture and ecology of Shenzhen and China. The park will also be a smart park, celebrating technological innovation, imagination and creativity in Shenzhen.
The Resort will include a combination of indoor and outdoor play areas to account for the climate in Shenzhen. MINILAND, one of the core areas of all LEGOLAND® Parks, will be indoors to create a large, themed area with high-tech digital interactive experiences, while paying tribute to the beauty of Shenzhen and China through representative landmarks, cultural and everyday life scenes. In echoing local characteristics, we have also developed a live show exclusively for Chinese families, and the Resort will feature the world's largest LEGOLAND® theatre with more than 1,000 seats.
Playful learning is a unique feature of all LEGOLAND Parks with educational interactive offerings such as creative robot workshops, the Driving School and the Rescue Academy which will all feature at the Shenzhen resort."
Jorgen Vig Knudstorp, Executive Chairman of the LEGO Group, said:
"The LEGO® brand has emotionally bonded with Chinese families during the past decades and contributed to create a positive impact on the development of the Chinese society with learning through play experiences. KIRKBI and the LEGO® brand are excited to bring LEGOLAND® Resort to Shenzhen this time, and we are looking forward to offering even more creative and imaginative experiences to Chinese families, to inspire and develop the builders of tomorrow."
Yuan Fu'er, Chairman of Hazens Holdings, said:
"Hazens Holdings began life in the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone, and after over 20 years, we have grown into a full-scale commercial property developer, with presence in industries such as cultural tourism and medical care. As the needs for family entertainment experience keeps growing, we're proud to be a key participant and pioneer in the market. We are honoured to collaborate with Dapeng District, Merlin Entertainments and the LEGO Group to build the first international IP-based theme park in the Greater Bay Area, establishing a one-stop destination for family entertainment."
LEGOLAND Resorts are committed to sustainable development in all areas, including environmental protection, in line with the "ecological-based development strategy" of Dapeng New District.
About Merlin Entertainments
Merlin Entertainments is a global leader in location-based, family entertainment. As Europe's Number 1 and the world's second-largest visitor attraction operator, Merlin now operates over 135 attractions, 21 hotels and 6 holiday villages in 24 countries and across 4 continents. Merlin's purpose is to deliver memorable experiences to its millions of guests around the world, through its iconic global and local brands, and the commitment and passion of its employees. The Company invests in the development of outstanding visitor experiences across multiple formats, and consistently achieves above 90% guest satisfaction levels.
Visit www.merlinentertainments.biz for more information.
About LEGOLAND® Parks
Merlin currently operates nine LEGOLAND® Resorts in seven countries, including the most recent new openings in Dubai (2016), Japan (2017) and New York (2021), and plans to open LEGOLAND Korea in 2022.
The LEGOLAND Park Operating Group constitutes 38% of Merlin revenues and welcomes over 15 million guests (2018). The roll out of new LEGOLAND Parks is one of the key growth drivers of Merlin Entertainments.
Merlin also operates LEGOLAND Discovery Centres, a small indoor interactive LEGOLAND experience for families with children under the age of 10. The "playful learning" concept allows children to unleash their imagination and creativity in play.
About LEGOLAND® Shenzhen Resort
LEGOLAND® Shenzhen Resort is the ultimate LEGO® theme park and hotel destination for children aged 2-12 and their families. Operated by Merlin Entertainments, LEGOLAND® Shenzhen Resort is expected to open in 2024. LEGOLAND® Shenzhen Resort will comprise a LEGOLAND® Theme Park, LEGOLAND® Water Park and 3 LEGOLAND® themed Hotels. It will include nine themed areas, over 100 interactive rides, shows and attractions that will let children and adults play, ride, climb, build, and learn together, allowing both playful learning and high-quality family time.
About KIRKBI A/S
KIRKBI is the holding and investment company of the Kirk Kristiansen family, which owns 75% of The LEGO® Group. As a long-term strategic shareholder in Merlin Entertainments Ltd, KIRKBI's interest remains in ensuring a sustainable future for the LEGO® brand and its branded activities such that it delivers superior learning through play experiences worldwide.
For more information, please go to KIRKBI.com
About Hazens Holdings
Established in 1996, as a single company in real estate development, Hazens Holdings has developed into a large corporation in over 20 years of operations, which splits its business into Tourist Resort and Healthcare, as well as financial investment, hotel management and overseas investment.
Merlin attractions in China
