China set to build replica of Titanic

CONSTRUCTION of the world’s first full-size replica of the Titanic has begun in China, state media reported yesterday, where it is expected to enjoy smoother sailing as a lakeside tourist draw than its namesake.

The 269-metre long, 28-metre wide ship will be docked permanently on a reservoir in a rural area of Sichuan province, the official Xinhua news agency cited a senior executive of the shipbuilder as saying.

It will feature an interior reproducing some of the grandeur of the original including a ballroom, theatre, swimming pool and first-class cabins, with the addition of wifi, said Wuchang Shipbuilding Industry Group’s deputy general manager Wang Weiling.

A keel-laying ceremony complete with confetti and fireworks was held on Wednesday, attended by former British government minister and EU trade commissioner Peter Mandelson.

The supposedly unsinkable ocean liner, which struck an iceberg and sunk in the Atlantic in 1912, is a subject of immense fascination for many in China.

Interest became particularly intense after the 1997 movie starring Kate Winslet and Leonardo DiCaprio, which was hugely popular in China.

The ship will be the centrepiece of a theme park hundreds of kilometres from China’s coast bankrolled by Chinese energy company Seven Star Energy Investment Group.