The owner of Alton Towers has linked-up with China Media Capital to develop new visitor attractions in the country.
The pair plan to develop a LEGOLAND park in Shanghai and may roll-out other branded attractions across the rest of the country.
The deal was announced during the UK visit of China’s president Xi Jinping.
Nick Varney, chief executive of Merlin Entertainments, said: "China is a key growth market for the group and we see this partnership as providing a significant opportunity to accelerate our plans.”
Merlin currently has five attractions in China (Madame Tussauds in Shanghai, Hong Kong, Beijing and Wuhan, and Chang Feng Ocean World aquarium in Shanghai) and is planning three further attractions scheduled to open in the next 18 months - LEGOLAND Discovery Center Shanghai, and a Madame Tussauds and SEA LIFE aquarium in Chongqing.
