Why build a multimedia attraction here?
Zhifeng: Rizhao is a tourist city but most of the sightseeing takes place during the day. We don’t have any nighttime cultural projects yet. So this show will give us a new opportunity for tourists to see more of Rizhao.
Were there any specifications you required for the attraction?
Zhifeng: We were not trying to be bigger or better – we wanted ECA2 to create a brand new concept show. We wanted them to balance modern art, modern technology and local traditional culture.
Why did you choose ECA2?
Zhifeng: First of all, we wanted a world-leading provider of multimedia shows and large events. Before we decided to do this show we went and saw Wings of Time (Sentosa). It combined technology and art well. The Mayor of Rizhao was impressed, so we decided to do a show like this.
Also, the water is seawater, and salt content is higher up north than in the south. So ECA2’s work on the Big O Show in Korea indicated that they could work in very salty water.
What other entertainment is planned?
Zhifeng: The area the show is located in, the Olympic water sports park, was built for many water sports and other global competition. It is also a park for citizens to relax. This year we finished development of the seaside park beach and opened it in May.
We are currently building a Chinese old style tourist town which will open in phases starting in 2017. We are also opening an aquarium and Japanese garden in 2017.
Why did it have to be done in only 12 months?
Zhifeng: We needed to get the show open as soon as possible to make sure we were showcasing the latest technology. Also, our busy tourist season is from May to October, so the show will have a couple months for our busy season and then we can improve the show with ECA2 from October to May.
How many tourists come to Rizhao and where are they from?
Zhifeng: Our official tourist numbers are 30 million visitors in 2015. For marketing and tourism promotion, we have several sister cities that have direct flights to Rizhao that we primarly work with: Harbin, Xian, Chongqing, Guangzhao, and Zhengzhou. • • •
