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上海乐高乐园在开业第一年内迎来创纪录的逾200万游客 2026-07-06
Legoland Shanghai Resort, the world's biggest theme park focused on the plastic toy bricks produced by Denmark's The Lego Group, has welcomed more than two million guests since opening one year ago, becoming the fastest Legoland in the world to reach the mark.
Shanghai Legoland has far exceeded visitor expectations since its grand opening on July 5 last year, John Jakobsen, chief strategy development officer of UK entertainment giant Merlin Entertainments, the park's operator, said at an anniversary celebration held on July 5.
The park in Shanghai is Merlin Entertainments' largest investment and development project to date worldwide, Jakobsen noted, adding that the company will continue to introduce global creative experiences to the Chinese market while exploring more localized innovations.
More than 1.06 million visitors took part in various interactive activities hosted by Shanghai Legoland over its inaugural year, while 716,000 guests watched a wide range of on-site performances, said Chen Jie, general manager of the park. The highest number of visits by a single annual pass holder was 254 times, Chen pointed out.
About 77 percent of annual pass holders are residents of Shanghai and neighboring Jiangsu and Zhejiang provinces, while Beijing and Guangdong and Shandong provinces ranked as the three further regions with the fastest-growing visitor share, according to Chen.
Ticket revenue and secondary consumption each accounted for half of Shanghai Legoland's income during its first year of operation, Chen noted. Over 230,000 Lego minifigures were sold, with around one quarter being custom-made by visitors as commemorative collectibles, Chen added.
"Many IP-themed parks generate substantial revenue from secondary consumption, covering catering, accommodation, retail merchandise, and other segments," Zhao Huanyan, a senior cultural tourism industry analyst and senior economist, told Yicai. "Diversified revenue streams help scenic spots boost profitability and long-term sustainable development."
The intellectual property economy has also driven local economic growth across multiple dimensions, said Lin Huanjie, dean of the China Theme Park Research Institute. "Every CNY1 (15 US cents) earned by a theme park can generate CNY18.80 (USD2.77) in comprehensive urban revenue."
By forging tourism resource links with nearby scenic spots, Shanghai Legoland has created special travel routes featuring "theme park + ancient town + countryside," collectively lifting the regional economic performance of Jinshan district, where the resort is located, Lin stressed.
About 20 percent of the park's staff are local Jinshan residents, with daily resort operations boosting surrounding businesses, including hotels, homestays, and catering outlets, said Zhuang Jian, chairman of Shanghai Legoland. "After the park opened, the district's annual tourist numbers exceeded 20 million, while the total revenue of local entertainment industries quadrupled."
Source: Yicai Global
