Oriental Science Fiction Valley, a new virtual reality theme park in Guiyang, China, opened to the public last weekend.
Located in Guizhou province, Oriental Science Fiction Valley features 35 virtual reality (VR) rides and attractions across 134 hectares of science fiction inspired castles and giant robots. An enormous Transformer statue towering 53m and made out of 750 tonnes of steel takes pride of place.
The cost to develop the Oriental Science Fiction Valley park has been disputed, with Reuters reporting that development came to $1.5bn. However, the price may be as low as $470m according to VRODO.
The VR attractions include shooters and virtual roller coasters as well as guided spaceship tours of the region’s most scenic spots. It also has a few non-VR activities, including bungee jumping from the arm of the giant robot.
Chen Jianli, CEO of the park, said: “There’s fierce competition in the theme park market right now. We are trying to give customers a new experience by combining modern technologies such as VR and [augmented reality] with traditional recreational facilities. The sci-fi part of it is important for the feeling it creates.”
Although the Oriental Science Fiction Valley is located in one of the poorest provinces in China, executives hope that the infusion of VR technology will position the region as a tech hub.
Oriental Science Fiction Valley is a joint venture between Guizhou Province and Shuimu Animation, a subsidiary of Oriental Times Network Media.
Update: Giant $500M Chinese VR Theme Park Opens Doors to the Public
