China inaugurates amusement park dedicated to virtual reality

Last weekend, an amusement park dedicated to virtual reality opened in Guizhou province, China. According to Digital Trends, the park contains 35 attractions, all of which use the technology in some way – from virtual roller coasters to first-person shooters.

The park, called the Oriental Science Fiction Valley, covers an area of 330 acres and is inspired by science fiction, with futuristic castles and giant robots. The region in which it is located is one of the poorest in China, and tourism is expected to help the province thrive. The video below (in English, from a Chinese TV) shows the park:

According to Reuters, most of the park’s attractions use a combination of motion simulators and virtual reality glasses. In addition to them, the park also has a bungee jump point from the top of a giant robot and a studio dedicated to producing movies and experiences in virtual reality.

The exact cost of construction for the park is not clear. Although Reuters initially quoted a figure of $ 1.5 billion, the Road To VR website says that this figure was much lower – about $ 470 million. The investment is part of China’s plan to move its economy with technology-related products and services. In fact, Apple recently installed a new data center in the same province of Guizhou where the park is located.