Discovery Park in China opens its doors to the world

The world's first Discovery Adventures Park in China is ready to welcome international tourists.

The park is located in Moganshan,Deqing county, Zhejiang province in East China. It is a jointeff ort by the Deqing county government,Discovery Global Enterprises and APAX Group, an Asian marketing company.

On Wednesday in Times Square,the park welcomed a wide range of international travelers from businesses to schools to individuals.

"The opening of the park is a reflection of China's expanding economic interest in outdoor sports and eco-tourism," said Terence Chu, chairman of Discovery Adventures Moganshan Park.

"This year we expect over 6 million tourists from both sides of our two countries," said Zhang Meifang,China's deputy consul general in New York. Zhang said she is sure that the park's opening will "continue to attract more tourists from around the world, not especially from the United States".

Covering 1 million square meters of a mountainous region of Moganshan,about a 2.5-hour drive from Shanghai - the "low-carbon, ecofriendly"park aims to challenge guests with adventure experiences.

The park features the largest climbing wall in China, along with zipline, obstacle and speed challenge courses. There are hot air balloon rides, hiking trails and a survival course. Visitors can ride all-terrain vehicles and mountain bikes and take SUV off -road routes.

"The diverse range of equipment will provide the best experience for individual challenge courses for visitors from a wide range of ages, from children to seniors," said Hong Yanyan, deputy mayor of the Deqing county.

The park also helps explorers experience the change of seasons.

Moganshan is one of the AAAAlevel National Sceneries in China and a popular vacation spot around the Yangtze River Delta.

It is one of China's top 10 holiday destinations and the world's top 25 summer destinations.

"There is a demand from consumers to expand the Discovery experience beyond the screen with immersive, interactive and engaging brand experiences," said Leigh Anne Brodsky, executive vice-president of Discovery Global Enterprises,Discovery Communications.The Silver Spring, Maryland-based company is known for such programming as the Discovery Channel,TLC and Animal Planet.

"We are thrilled with how Discovery Adventures Moganshan Park has turned into a destination that gives ordinary people the chance to challenge themselves for an experience unlike any other,"she said.

The park, which had a soft opening in April for the domestic market,has become the largest tourist attraction in Moganshan.

"The Discovery Adventures Moganshan Park gives a contribution to the sustainable development of the tourism industry in Deqing," Hong said.

As 2016 was designated the Year of China-US Tourism, China has increased its tourism investments by 20 percent this year, according to Hong.

xiaohong@chinadailyusa.com