China's Andersen theme park may open next year: partner

A theme park dedicated to Hans Christian Andersen's fairy tales is expected to open in Shanghai during the 2010 World Expo next May, a partner in the project said Friday.

The eight hectare (20 acre) park will celebrate the Danish writer's stories including the Little Mermaid, the Ugly Duckling and the Emperor's New Clothes, said Yang Wenyan, director of the state-run Haha children's channel and the project's media partner.

"The park will open on May 11 during the World Expo, to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and Denmark," Yang told AFP.

Denmark will donate to the park a replica of the Andersen statue that stands in front of Copenhagen city hall, Yang added.

The theme park in the northeast outskirts of Shanghai was first announced in August 2006, but was suspended due to financing problems, according to previous state media reports.

The main investor in the project, Shanghai Gujing Investment and Development Co Ltd, has not released any information about the park's cost and could not be immediately reached for comment.

In addition to the park, Copenhagen's famous Little Mermaid sculpture will be brought to Shanghai to be the centrepiece of Denmark's pavilion at the six-month World Expo, which begins on May 1. (AFP)