China's 'ice city' kicks off Poseidon Theme Park project

Harbin, dubbed China's "ice city" in the far northeast, announced on Tuesday it will open a new theme park -- Poseidon Ocean Kingdom.
The park will feature stories about the sea god Poseidon in Greek mythology. Malaysia-based KWZone Group is investing 10 billion yuan (1.6 billion U.S. dollars) in the project.
The park will cover one square km in the capital of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province, larger than the Disney resort in east China's Shanghai, which is under construction.
Poseidon Ocean Kingdom is scheduled to open in July 2016.
Taylor Jeffs, creative director of U.S. firm GGE Company which is designing the project, said unlike Disney theme parks, attractions in Poseidon will take visitors into the stories.
He said the park will consist of the lost empire of Atlantis with palaces and sculptures.
Song Xibin, mayor of Harbin, said at the park's inauguration ceremony on Tuesday that the project would help boost the city's cultural tourism industry and improve Harbin's competitiveness.