Legoland opening wows Shanghai
Entry tickets to the new resort, aimed mainly at families with children between the ages of two and twelve, quickly sold out as thousands queued to try out more than 75 rides, performances, and attractions spanning more than 300,000 square metres.
That was despite a heatwave strong enough to trigger an orange alert from Shanghai's meteorological observatory - the second-highest in China's weather alert system.
"The enthusiasm of the staff here makes us feel like the heat is okay, and we really liked today's opening ceremony gift," said 40-year-old Shanghai resident
Cathy Yin of the wearable Lego mitt given out to those attending the event. "We came especially for it."
Lego enthusiasts from all over China travelled to Shanghai for the opening, leading to a surge in hotel bookings, local media said. Lego Group CEO Niels B Christiansen said the resort would be "an integral part" of Lego's presence in China, and would "contribute to the economic vitality of Shanghai".
The strong turnout highlights resilience in experience-focused spending among Chinese consumers, even as the overall economy struggles with weak consumer demand.
Multiple visitors interviewed by Reuters had purchased an annual pass, and had attended the soft opening on June 20.
Even in the extreme heat, 30-year-old visitor Tao Xiaoqing said, "didn't stop me from coming" to the opening day.
Shanghai's meteorological observatory warned maximum temperatures in the city's central and western areas were expected to exceed 37 degrees Celsius on Saturday, while other forecasters warned parts of China's eastern and central provinces are bracing for temperatures above 40C.
"It's really hot, but it's still a lot of fun here," said nine-year-old Rocky Xu. Reuters
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Express Tribune
3 hours ago
- Express Tribune
Bayeux Tapestry returns to Britain
France will lend Britain the Bayeux Tapestry, allowing the 11th century masterpiece to come back across the Channel for the first time in more than 900 years, in a show of friendship to mark President Emmanuel Macron's state visit. King Charles welcomed Macron for a three-day trip on Tuesday, aimed at celebrating the return of closer ties between London and Paris after Brexit, with the loan of the tapestry a symbol of kinship between the neighbours. Britain will in exchange loan France Anglo-Saxon and Viking treasures, in a deal to be announced by British culture minister Lisa Nandy and her French counterpart Rachida Dati later on Tuesday, a government statement said. While the precise origins of the 70-metre long Bayeux Tapestry are obscure, it is said to have been the work of English embroiderers, whose stitching tells the story of the Norman invasion in 1066, and most famously the arrow which hit England's King Harold in the eye. In the years after William the Conquerer took the English throne, the tapestry was taken to France, where it has remained, displayed at the Bayeux Museum in Normandy since 1983. "The Bayeux Tapestry is one of the most important and unique cultural artefacts in the world, which illustrates the deep ties between Britain and France and has fascinated people across geographies and generations," British Museum director Nicholas Cullinan said. The artwork will be shown at the British Museum from September 2026 to July 2027, the statement said, while museums in Normandy, northern France, will host Britain's Sutton Hoo collection, consisting of metal artworks including helmets, shields and spoons from the seventh century. The French will also borrow Britain's Lewis Chessmen, a collection of chess pieces thought to have been crafted in Norway in the 12th century and found on the Isle of Lewis, Scotland. Reuters
Express Tribune
a day ago
- Express Tribune
Why horror is slaying box office
The Substance grossed over USD77 million globally, with 80 per cent from outside US. Photos: File Vampires, zombies and the Grim Reaper are killing it at the box office. At a time when superheroes, sequels and reboots have grown stale among audiences, horror has emerged as an unlikely saviour, entertainment industry veterans say. This year, scary films account for 17 per cent of the North American ticket purchases, up from 11 per cent in 2024 and 4 per cent a decade ago, according to Comscore data compiled exclusively for Reuters. Thanks to the box office performance of Sinners and Final Destination: Bloodlines, and new installments of popular horror films hitting later this year, including The Conjuring: Last Rites and Five Nights at Freddy's 2, cinema owners have reason to celebrate. "We have identified horror as really one of the primary film genres that we are targeting to grow," said Brandt Gully, owner of the Springs Cinema & Taphouse in Sandy Springs, Georgia. "It can really fill a void when you need it." Producers, studio executives and theatre owners say horror has historically provided a safe outlet to cope with contemporary anxieties. And there is no lack of material to choose from: the aftershocks of a global pandemic, artificial intelligence paranoia, the loss of control over one's body, and resurgent racism. "It's cathartic, it's emotional, and it comes with an ending," said film data analyst Stephen Follows, author of the Horror Movie Report, which offers detailed insights into the genre. "Horror movies give space to process things that are harder to face in everyday life." The often low-budget productions allow for greater risk-taking than would be possible with high-cost, high-stakes productions like Mission: Impossible – The Final Reckoning. The creative freedom has attracted such acclaimed directors as Ryan Coogler, Jordan Peele, Danny Boyle and Guillermo del Toro. "Horror movies are an accountant's dream," said Paul Dergarabedian, Comscore senior media analyst. "If you're going to make a science-fiction outer-space extravaganza, you can't do that on the cheap. With horror films, a modest-budget movie like Weapons can be scary as hell." Audiences are responding. Coogler's Sinners, an original story about Mississippi vampires starring Michael B Jordan, was the year's third highest-grossing film in the US and Canada, according to Comscore. Movie theatres are still recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic which broke the movie-going habit, and increased viewing in the home. Mike De Luca, co-chair and Warner Bros Motion Picture Group, which released Sinners, said horror was a genre that manages to get people out of the house. "It's a rising tide that lifts all boats," he said. "You know, we're trying to get people back in the habit of going to the theatres." Fear knows no geographical bounds. Half of all horror movies released by major US distributors last year made 50 per cent or more of their worldwide box office gross outside the US, according to London-based researcher Ampere Analysis. The breakout international hit The Substance, for example, grossed over USD77 million worldwide – with around 80 per cent of that from outside the US. Streamers also are similarly capitalising on the appeal of the genre. AMC's post-apocalyptic horror drama series The Walking Dead, became one of the most popular series when it was added to Netflix in 2023, amassing 1.3 billion hours viewed, according to Netflix's Engagement Report. Director Guillermo del Toro's film adaptation of Mary Shelley's gothic novel, Frankenstein, is set to debut in November. Date night Horror films are ideally suited to watching in movie theatres, where the environment heightens the experience. "What you can't do at home is sit in a dark room with a hundred other people, not on your phone, and jump," said Blumhouse CEO Jason Blum, producer of Halloween, Paranormal Activity and other lucrative horror franchises. "You can't really be scared when you watch a horror movie at home." Big-budget movies that the industry refers to as "tent poles," such as Captain America: Brave New World or A Minecraft Movie, remain the lifeblood of movie theatres. Over time, these blockbusters have elbowed out more moderately budgeted romantic comedies and dramas on movie screens. Against this backdrop, horror has been quietly gaining momentum. The genre broke the USD1 billion box office barrier in the US and Canada for the first time in 2017, Comscore reported, buoyed by the film adaptation of Stephen King's novel, It, and Jordan Peele's exploration of racial inequality in Get Out. Announcements of new horror films from US producers have risen each year for the last three years, including in 2023, when the Hollywood strikes significantly impacted production, according to Ampere Analysis. The number of US horror films that went into production last year was up 21 per cent over 2023, Ampere found. "While more arthouse fare and even some tentpole superhero franchises have had mixed fortunes at the global box office in the wake of the pandemic, horror remains one of the key genres that audiences still make a point of seeing in the theatres," wrote researcher Alice Thorpe in a report for Ampere's clients which she shared with Reuters. The researcher's own consumer surveys revealed horror is the favorite genre among two-thirds of film-goers, ages 18 to 24. "Anytime a teenager graduates to wanting to take a date to the movies, horror gets popular really fast," said Warner Bros' De Luca. "It's a great film-going experience to take a date to because you get to huddle with each other and gasp and hoop and holler." Freak show Horror has been a cinematic staple from its earliest days, when Thomas Edison filmed Frankenstein on his motion picture camera, the Kinetograph, in 1910. The British Board of Film Classification introduced the "H" rating in 1932, officially designating the genre. But it didn't always get Hollywood's respect. "In the first half of the 20th century, it was seen as a freak-show," said Follows. Perceptions began to change with the critical and commercial success of films like Psycho, The Exorcist and The Shining. Director Steven Spielberg ushered in the summer blockbuster in 1975 with Jaws, a re-invention of the classic monster film. In recent years, horror films have become part of the Oscar conversation. Peele collected an Academy Award for best original screenplay in 2018 for Get Out. Demi Moore received her first Oscar nomination earlier this year for her portrayal of an ageing Hollywood star who will go to any lengths to stay beautiful in The Substance. Not every horror film connects with audiences. M3GAN 2.0, a sequel to the 2022 low-budget film about a killer robotic doll that grossed USD180 million worldwide, brought in a modest USD10.2 million in the US and Canada in its opening weekend, according to Comscore.
Express Tribune
a day ago
- Express Tribune
Gaming revives China's heritage
Chinese video games are increasingly connecting ancient culture with younger generations. Through immersive digital design and real-world collaborations, homegrown titles are inspiring young players to rediscover traditional arts, driving tourism and reinforcing cultural confidence. One prime example, Ashes of Kingdom, immediately captured players' imaginations after its domestic launch last September, attracting fans with its richly detailed late Han Dynasty (202 BC – 220 AD) and the Three Kingdoms period (220-280) world. In Yangzhou, east China's Jiangsu Province, young gamers flocked to the city's historic landmarks, including Slender West Lake, Ge Garden, and He Garden, as they were transformed into immersive in-game quest hubs. From mid-May to late June, the collaboration project drew thousands of visitors eager to trace the lacquerware motifs featured in the game. "The game has drawn many Gen Z travelers to Yangzhou to discover its beauty through its landscapes, cuisine and traditions," said Dai Bin, deputy director of the city's culture and tourism bureau. During the three-day Dragon Boat Festival, the Yangzhou Intangible Cultural Heritage Treasure Museum welcomed approximately 20,000 visitors daily, a significant portion of whom were gaming enthusiasts. Under the guidance of master artisans, visitors sketched, inlaid and polished Luodian - also known as mother-of-pearl inlay - on wooden panels, transforming digital motifs into tangible artworks. This "game-plus-heritage" model turns cultural landmarks into living classrooms, Dai added. Cultural tourism-related online searches of the city surged by 300 percent during the month-long project as Gen Z travelers flooded in to experience Han culture firsthand, according to data. Behind these successful activities stand young development teams who weave authentic history into modern gameplay. "We chose a few representative cultural fragments - lacquerware, guqin music and traditional attire - to spark curiosity," said Xiao Meng, the producer of Ashes of Kingdom. "It's a two-way journey: We invite players in and they, in turn, bring new perspectives to our shared heritage," she said. Booming industry National policies and education initiatives are fuelling this cultural craze further. In April, the Ministry of Commerce rolled out a game export plan that calls for the development of overseas gaming operations, the expansion of application scenarios, and the establishment of an industrial chain spanning IP development, game production, publishing and international operations. Industry data underscores this momentum. According to the 2024 China game export report, Chinese-developed games achieved overseas sales of USD18.56 billion in 2024, representing a 13.39 per cent increase from the previous year. In April this year, the Ministry of Education approved game art design as an undergraduate major at three institutions, including the Communication University of China and the Beijing Film Academy, with courses covering player psychology and the digital preservation of traditional aesthetics. "A systematic design theory is needed in the gaming industry in China, and through education, we aim to instill more professional design principles and drive the sector's healthy development," said Liang Qiwei, a guest professor at the Communication University of China's School of Animation and Digital Arts and the founder of Beijing's S-GAME. Thanks to the gaming boom, the revival of China's traditional culture has moved beyond a mere trend, coming alive through a rich array of vivid cultural symbols and platforms. Take Black Myth: Wukong as an example. The game was inspired by classic Chinese tale Journey to the West, which features the Monkey King, and became an instant global sensation, selling over 10 million copies across all platforms within three days of its launch. The game's global acclaim has marked significant progress in China's endeavours to promote its culture overseas, demonstrating its increasing ability to break through barriers and overcome obstacles on the global stage, said Zhang Yiwu, a professor at Peking University. Video games have become one of the most important media forms for cultural exchange, but developers must first ensure gameplay remains entertaining and cultural elements enrich rather than overshadow the overall experience. The key to tapping into China's cultural resources is to present them through innovative contemporary expression, Liang said.
