China‘s Eden Project – inspired by Cornwall’s attraction of the same name – has just opened in Qingdao in Shandong province.
Oriental Eden, which was first announced in 2015, has seen the transformation of a 200-acre environmentally damaged site overlooking Jiaozhou Bay.
Inspired by its location at the confluence of a river and the sea, Oriental Eden focuses on the story of water in three parts: its scarcity, abundance, and quality. One of the highlights of Oriental Eden is the Storm Forest, a giant tropical biome.
Qingdao, which is halfway between Shanghai and Beijing, is known for hosting the 2008 Olympic sailing races, as well as being the home to the headquarters of Tsingtao Brewery, producers of one of China’s best-loved beers.
The Eden Project opened its first location in Cornwall in 2000, taking over the site of a barren clay pit. The attraction has two huge domes, one of which is the largest indoor rainforest in the world.
In 2028, Eden Project Morecambe is set to open in Lancashire. That project, first announced in 2018, ‘re-imagines Morecambe as a seaside resort for the 21st century, inspiring wonder and a connection with the natural world’.
Other projects in the pipeline include Eden Project Scotland in Dundee, and Eden Project Costa Rica.
More information: edenproject.com
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