Developer plans to raise Titanic in Shanghai
( 2002-02-06 11:36 ) (7 )

titanic

Hong Kong's Concord World Group is planning to build a full-scale replica of the Titanic as part of a shopping mall in Shanghai.

The popularity of the 1997 film Titanic was the inspiration for the planned concrete and steel model of the 269-metre ship, Concord vice-president Guan Zhaoqiang said.

"Titanic was an extremely popular film in China and we want to use that to attract customers to our mall," he said.

The ship will be permanently "moored" at the Xiehe World Square shopping mall in Nanjing Road. Mr Guan said he hoped it would "recreate the atmosphere and trappings of the Titanic".

He said the ship would be the centrepiece of the mall's "New York Zone", one of five city-themed areas in the 60,000-square-metre complex. The real ship never made it to New York, sinking on its maiden voyage from Southampton, Britain, in 1912. Also planned are scaled-down models of the Eiffel Tower for "the Paris Zone" and the Sydney Harbour Bridge. Symbols to represent the Hong Kong and Tokyo zones have not yet been decided.

Mr Guan said the Titanic was "a symbol of New York that is known the world over".

"All the decor within the building will be closely modelled after the original Titanic," Mr Guan added.

He said he hoped millions of young Shanghainese would board the model of the ill-fated ship.

The seven billion yuan shopping complex is scheduled for completion within three years.