Theme Park Mania

On July 23, HB World, a film-themed park in Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, opened for business after various delays. A theme park financed by a State-owned real estate developer in the provincial capital city of Nanjing is yet to begin construction after it announced the ambitious plan in 2014. In recent years, a growing number of real estate development projects have been completed in the name of theme parks. What’s more, many theme parks remain unfinished due to the shortage of investment, high risk or long duration, and many parks are operating in the red after completion. In March 2018, the National Development and Reform Commission and four government agencies jointly released a directive to regulate theme park construction. It remains a challenge for theme parks to prosper and profit at a time when brand-building, IP cultivation, and the extension of the industrial chain leave much to be desired.