China's first Legoland resort opens

The Legoland Shanghai Resort opened its doors on Saturday and became China's first and the world's largest Legoland at launch, underscoring the brand's confidence in the Chinese market according to a senior executive with Merlin Entertainments.

The 318,000-square-meter resort in Shanghai's Jinshan district boasts eight themed lands with more than 75 interactive rides, shows and attractions, as well as thousands of models built using over 85 million Lego bricks.

"We have huge confidence in the Chinese market and its strengths, with 55 million people living within a two-hour drive of the resort," said John Jakobsen, chief strategic portfolio development officer of Merlin Entertainments, which operates the resort. He noted China's position as the world's second-largest theme park market and Chinese consumers' growing appreciation for Lego's educational and creative values.