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Theme Parks in the Overseas Chinese Town
A magnet for tour groups, the Overseas Chinese Town (Hua Qiao Cheng) in Nanshan District features four distinctive theme parks sitting side by side. A monorail commutes around the parks in the area.
| Splendid China |
 Also known as Miniature of China, the 300,000-sqm park features replicas of more than 80 scenic and cultural wonders in the country. Here you can find the mighty Great Wall, the imperial Forbidden City, the ancient Terracotta Army, the legendary Shaolin Temple and the mysterious Potala Palace of Tibet. The park is beautifully forested to shelter its visitors from the subtropical sun.
Hours of Operation: 9:00 -- 18:00
Metro Stop: Hua Qiao Cheng (Exit D), Line 1
Tel.: 26602111 |
| Chinese Folk Culture Villages |
 Right next to Splendid China, the folk culture park dazzles with the histories and mysteries of the country's ethnic groups. Scattering around the 180,000-sqm park are 24 villages built in 1:1 ratio, inhabited by real ethnic people who present their traditional arts, customs, languages and cuisines. Traditional culture performances are held there every day. Like Splendid China, the park is also heavily forested.
Hours of Operation: 9:00 -- 21:00
Metro Stop: Hua Qiao Cheng (Exit D), Line 1
Tel.: 26600626 |
| Window of the World |
 Like Splendid China, this 480,000-sqm park features more than 130 miniature replicas of scenic and cultural wonders. The difference is that these are landmarks from all over the world. Here you can find the Golden Gate Bridge and the Niagara Waterfall of the United States, the Kremlin of Russia, Italy's Pisa Tower, Egyptian pyramids, the Taj Mahal of India and an Eiffel Tower built in 1:3 ratio.
Although these replicas would probably not attract Western visitors much, the park's daily dance performance and regular carnival-like events are of great fun. Beautifully illuminated at night, it is also an impressive city scene.
Hours of Operation: 9:00 -- 21:00
Metro Stop: Hua Qiao Cheng (Exit J), Line 1
Tel.: 26608000 |
| Happy Valley |
 This is a place for kids and families. Usually packed on weekends by families, the fun park offers more than 100 attractions ranging from the thrilling Space Shot to the lovely cartoon-themed events. It also holds daily performances of various themes.
Hours of Operation: 9:30 -- 22:00 (9:00 -- 22:00 on weekends)
Metro Stop: Hua Qiao Cheng (Exit A), Line 1
Tel.: 26949168 |
Other Top Theme Parks
| Safari Park |
 The first of its kind in the country, the park is a 120,000-sqm subtropical garden housing nearly 10,000 wild animals and birds of more than 300 species. These include some of the world's rare species such as panda, golden money (golden snub-nosed monkey), antelope, flamingo, red-crowned crane (Manchurian Crane) and Amur Tiger (Manchurian Tiger). The park also offers a variety of circus shows.
Location: By Xili Lake in Nanshan District
Tel.: 26622888 |
| Minsk World |
 This is a military-themed park based on a retired aircraft carrier, the Minsk, which was built in the former Soviet Union and was once the world's fifth largest of its kind. Moored at Dapeng Bay now, the vessel houses a military museum highlighting a MiG-23 fighter and other aircrafts. There are also regular Russian dance shows and honor guard performances.
Location: Shatoujiao in Yantian District
Tel.: 25355333 |
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Attractions -- Theme Parks