Viacom International Media Networks Asia will build a Nickelodeon indoor theme park at the Mall of China in Chongqing.
It will be Nickelodeon’s largest indoor park in the world, and its first in Asia when it opens in December 2020.
The Mall of China is being developed by Jiayuan Group, China Creation Group and Triple Five Group and the three partners signed an agreement with Viacom last week.
Cartoon and movie characters including SpongeBob SquarePants, Dora the Explorer, the Paw Patrol gang and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles will feature in the park which will host 29 attractions including the world’s highest and fastest indoor roller coaster and Asia’s first tilting drop-tower attraction.
The $750 million Mall of China is located about 15 minutes’ drive from Chongqing’s Jiangbei International Airport. Construction of the 1.5 million sqft mall started in 2016. The adjacent theme park Nickelodeon indoor theme park will take up about 92,000sqft and the entire complex will be buttressed by 40,000 residential units, an international hospital and an international school. The entire project will cost an estimated $4.2 billion.
“Creating immersive on-the-ground consumer experiences remains an important part of our business, especially in Asia,” said Mark Whitehead, president and MD, Asia Pacific at Viacom International Media Networks.
“As we continue to grow the footprint of Nickelodeon theme parks across Asia Pacific, I am confident this will also open up new opportunities for the Nickelodeon brand and for our partners across multiple platforms in this important Chinese market.”
Nickelodeon-branded attractions and parks around the world include the Nickelodeon Universe in Minneapolis’ Mall of America, SeaWorld on the Gold Coast and Wet n Wild Sydney in Australia, Nickelodeon Land at Pleasure Beach Blackpool in the UK, Nickland at Movie Park Germany, Nickelodeon Land at Parque de Atracciones Madrid in Spain and Nickelodeon Lost Lagoon at Sunway Lagoon in Malaysia. There are also Nickelodeon attractions at the Universal Studios in Hollywood and Orlando, Florida.