AFP, SHANGHAIConstruction of the world’s first full-size replica of the Titanic has begun in China, Xinhua news agency reported yesterday, where it is expected to enjoy smoother sailing as a lakeside tourist draw than its namesake. Interest became particularly intense after the 1997 movie starring Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio, which was hugely popular in China. The new ship will be the centerpiece of a theme park hundreds of kilometers from China’s coast, bankrolled by Chinese energy company Seven Star Energy Investment Group (七星能源投資集團). Domestic tourism is booming in China, promoted by the government as a way of fueling consumer-driven growth rather than its decades-old model of investment and industry. Theme parks are being built in the country faster than anywhere else in the world, with more than 300 projects reportedly funded in recent years.

Source: Taipei Times December 01, 2016 16:04 UTC