China culture to shine in Africa with theme park

By Chen Hong (China Daily)
Updated: 2009-05-19 09:21

SHENZHEN: Chinese culture will be transplanted to South Africa thanks to a $250 million theme-park-with-a-difference being built by local company Huaqiang Holdings.

Fantawild Adventure, the 770,000 sq m high-tech facility destined for Johannesburg was among major successes announced during the four-day China (Shenzhen) International Cultural Industries Fair that closed yesterday with a record-high accumulative contract volume of 87.7 billion yuan.

"The park will be the first major technology-driven cultural theme park in Southern Africa," said Cassim Nakkooda, director of trade and investment promotion for the city of Johannesburg.

"It will not only give citizens of South Africa a chance to better understand Chinese culture, but also serve the interests of other African countries."

Huaqiang Holdings is a conglomerate with interests in electronics and culture-based industries. The company will develop the project with support from China Development Bank, China-Africa Development Fund (CAD Fund) and Industrial Development Corporation, a State-owned investment company from South Africa.

Construction should begin by the end of the year, said Liang Gaungwei, president of Huaqiang Holdings.

When work is complete in around three years, the park is expected to attract between 2 and 3 million visitors a year.

Fantawild Adventure will have three zones featuring Chinese culture, African culture and global culture.

The theme park aims to introduce Chinese cultural masterpieces and classic ancient stories to the South African public.

Zhao Jianping, president of CAD Fund - the first equity investment fund in China focusing on investments in Africa, said it will also offer a chance for Chinese businesses to invest in South Africa.

The China (Shenzhen) International Cultural Industries Fair, which attracted more than 3.5 million visitors, each year encourages and promotes the development of cultural industries in Shenzhen. The contribution from cultural industries to gross domestic product rose from 3 percent five years ago to 7 percent last year.