September 16, 2014, Ningbo, Zhejiang, China. China Maritime Movie Studio, the nation’s first maritime & movie culture-based theme park designed by MCM Group International broke ground in Xinqiao Ningbo Movie Culture Industrial Zone, Xiangshan County. Co-invested by Zhejiang Radio & TV Group (ZRTG) and Xiangshan People’s Government with an initial investment of RMB 2 billion yuan, the 1,000 mu Park is expected to be open in late 2017.
Given the tourism advantages of Xianghan Movie Studio, the coastal resources of Xiangshan County and ZRTG’s great influence, MCM Group’s design creates an all-season tourism complex that integrates themed entertainment, movie shooting, leisure, vacation and creative industries. Designed to maintain the unique features and authenticity of Chinese maritime culture, it will be built into a tourism destination where nautical traditions are revealed by cutting-edge movie technologies, including a 5D theatre, a dome cinema, a water screen movie theatre, dark rides and underwater sound stages, etc. In the park, visitors will experience the mysteries of the ocean, the thrills of marine disasters and spectacular marine movie clips in a series of extravagantly themed environments. There will be opportunities to learn about ancient Tashan civilization dating back 6,000 years, to embark on the treasure-hunting journeys to the bottom of the sea or to travel along the Maritime Silk Road. Visitors may also choose to enjoy themselves on the sunny beach or feast on gourmet Xiangshan seafood.
Phase I of the project is a filming area themed around the Republic of China period. Integrating effectively with the Datang River System, it features a port city filming scene complete with railway station and wharf. Phase I covers a land area of 73.4 mu with 57 individual structures and a building area of nearly 25,000 square meters.
Superior geographical conditions and a strong film industry base make Xiangshan the perfect place to build the movie park. Lu Jianchu, Editor-in-chief of ZRTG, described the new venture at the ground-breaking ceremony thusly: “We advocate the philosophy of ‘creating a popular entertainment culture with superior quality, taste and standards. Instead of short term profits, we will pursue the project as an iconic ‘name card’ in the Province’s cultural development efforts. The project will facilitate the transformation of the potential cultural needs of the general public into actual consumer spending, so as to fulfill the provincial government’s goals to ‘benefit, entertain and enrich the citizens with culture.’”
Ye Jianming, Governor of Xiangshan County, spoke about how “The Xiangshan movie park project can’t just concentrate on profits, but must also bring about the reinvention of Xiangshan Movie Studio, paving the way for it to become a nationally famous film & TV industry base and tourist destination. We pledge our full support to the project construction with hope for its early completion.”
It is understood that ticket revenues of the existing Xiangshan Movie Studio have increased by 100% since the development of various themed experiences and is expected to reach RMB 50 million Yuan this year. The number of films shot in the studio has tripled to over 35 yearly. 34 companies have set up studios in the park with a total registered capital of RMB 300 million Yuan. It has become a “golden name card” representing the development of the cultural industry in Ningbo.
