A $215-million Hello Kitty theme park celebrating the cute cartoon cat with a cult-like following will open in China in 2014.
Construction is expected to begin in July on the 150-acre theme park in China’s Zhejiang province, about three hours west of Shanghai, according to China’s Xinhua news agency.
Plans for the first Hello Kitty theme park outside Japan closely follow the recent announcement of Shanghai Disneyland, set to open in late 2015 or early 2016.
With a million visitors expected annually, the new Hello Kitty park will be targeted at families with preteen children and young women who collect merchandise bearing the likeness of the white bobtail cat with the red bow.
Since her 1974 debut, Kitty has spawned a global industry that sells tens of thousands of products, including dolls, clothes, televisions, toasters, wine and jewelry.