World's largest Legoland set to open in Shanghai
SHANGHAI, June 20 (Reuters) - One of the star attractions at Legoland Shanghai, which officially opens on July 5, is likely to be a mini replica of the Shanghai waterfront and skyscrapers of the Lujiazui financial district, all built in the colourful plastic bricks.
The Shanghai resort, which will be the world's biggest Legoland so far and the first in China, features eight themed sections that will feel familiar to fans of Lego. They include Ninjago, Lego Friends and Monkie Kid lands, in which classic Lego pieces are brought to life and supersized - though not big enough to meet everyone's expectations.
"I thought it would be huge, but it turned out to be half of the scale I dreamed ... But the attractions are beyond my expectation," said Lyu Xiaole, a very grown-up seven-year-old whose family were among those able to get limited tickets for a pre-opening visit on Friday.
China's economy has been hit by weak consumer spending in recent years amid a prolonged property slump and high youth unemployment, but Legoland Shanghai will be counting on resilient domestic travel and "experience" spending which have remained strong.
Legoland Shanghai is operated by a joint venture between Merlin Entertainments, which runs Legoland parks around the world, and the Shanghai Jinshan District local government.
The replica of downtown Shanghai and the city's waterfront is housed in the "Miniland" building at the site, where skyscrapers face the colonial era splendour of buildings along Shanghai's famed Bund promenade.
The Miniland creations took 168,000 hours to complete, using more than 20 million bricks.
"I think it's best to play Lego in Legoland because I have much less Lego at my place," said seven-year-old Shen Jieqi.
Lego, the Danish family-owned toymaker that produces the bricks, is a familiar name in China where it has more than 400 stores.
In Shanghai, Legoland will offer another leisure space in the city for those who can afford it. Tickets will start from 319 yuan ($44.46) in low season and up to 599 yuan on peak days.
"We came very early in the morning. The atmosphere in the park is very joyful. The staff are full of passion," said Huang Xuanhua, 44, who lives close by the resort in Shanghai's Jinshan district and visited on Friday. "It has been a joyful day."
($1 = 7.1756 Chinese yuan renminbi)
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Reuters
6 hours ago
- Reuters
World's largest Legoland set to open in Shanghai
SHANGHAI, June 20 (Reuters) - One of the star attractions at Legoland Shanghai, which officially opens on July 5, is likely to be a mini replica of the Shanghai waterfront and skyscrapers of the Lujiazui financial district, all built in the colourful plastic bricks. The Shanghai resort, which will be the world's biggest Legoland so far and the first in China, features eight themed sections that will feel familiar to fans of Lego. They include Ninjago, Lego Friends and Monkie Kid lands, in which classic Lego pieces are brought to life and supersized - though not big enough to meet everyone's expectations. "I thought it would be huge, but it turned out to be half of the scale I dreamed ... But the attractions are beyond my expectation," said Lyu Xiaole, a very grown-up seven-year-old whose family were among those able to get limited tickets for a pre-opening visit on Friday. China's economy has been hit by weak consumer spending in recent years amid a prolonged property slump and high youth unemployment, but Legoland Shanghai will be counting on resilient domestic travel and "experience" spending which have remained strong. Legoland Shanghai is operated by a joint venture between Merlin Entertainments, which runs Legoland parks around the world, and the Shanghai Jinshan District local government. The replica of downtown Shanghai and the city's waterfront is housed in the "Miniland" building at the site, where skyscrapers face the colonial era splendour of buildings along Shanghai's famed Bund promenade. The Miniland creations took 168,000 hours to complete, using more than 20 million bricks. "I think it's best to play Lego in Legoland because I have much less Lego at my place," said seven-year-old Shen Jieqi. Lego, the Danish family-owned toymaker that produces the bricks, is a familiar name in China where it has more than 400 stores. In Shanghai, Legoland will offer another leisure space in the city for those who can afford it. Tickets will start from 319 yuan ($44.46) in low season and up to 599 yuan on peak days. "We came very early in the morning. The atmosphere in the park is very joyful. The staff are full of passion," said Huang Xuanhua, 44, who lives close by the resort in Shanghai's Jinshan district and visited on Friday. "It has been a joyful day." ($1 = 7.1756 Chinese yuan renminbi)
The Sun
10 hours ago
- The Sun
‘This is terrifying!' Labubu doll fans say after discovering what's behind the viral toy's cute, furry exterior
THEY'RE the must-have accessory of the summer - but people have been left horrified after seeing what is behind the viral Labubu dolls. The furry dolls - made popular by Chinese toy company Pop Mart - have caused shoppers to go into a frenzy in recent months. 5 5 With their bunny ears and creepy smiles, Labubu dolls have surged in popularity since being spotted on the bags of celebrities including Rihanna, Kim Kardashian, Olivia Attwood and Gemma Collins - and even David Beckham. But now people are realising what the dolls look like without their fluffy exteriors. One social media user has gone viral after sharing a photo of their toy without its iconic hooded outfit and soft clothes. The bald-looking doll looked rather less endearing, with its large, toothy smile and claw-like feet. The X user showed how the doll is wearing underwear with a bow under its recognisable fluffy onesie. One person wrote: 'THIS S*** LOOKS HORRENDOUS WHAT THE F***.' Another added: 'THIS IS TERRIFYING.' A third commented: 'Now why would you undress the Labubu? [It's] looking like when a man shaves off his beard and has no chin.' Many people said the worst part of the exposed doll was the three-toed, alligator-like feet. Created by Hong Kong-born artist Kasing Lung, the vinyl figures are sold in £17.50 'blind boxes' — so fans do not know which version they are getting. I wasn't going to fork out for a Labubu so nabbed a budget alternative from B&M instead - it's SO much cuter too Labubus come in an array of vibrant colours, unique shapes and various sizes, spanning from plush toys to striking vinyl figures - and rare models are re-selling online for up to £1,000. CELEB APPEAL Former England captain David revealed that his daughter Harper, 13, had bought him one, showing off a snap of a rare 'secret' edition character. Kim Kardashian posted a shot of her collection, while former Love Island star Olivia went further by having a Labubu-themed birthday party. Rihanna was also pictured sporting one on a Louis Vuitton handbag in LA. 5 5 And Towie favourite Gemma declared she's 'obsessed', adding: 'It's all about the Labubu.' The brand made its debut in 2015, but skyrocketed in global popularity after hitting Pop Mart shelves in 2019. The first three months of 2025 were wildly successful for the brand, with Brits searching high and low to nab one of the quirky figurines. Since opening stores in London and Manchester over the last 12 months, Labubu dolls have become cult collectibles among grown British women. Where to buy Labubu and how much do they cost? 5 Labubu dolls are sold on Amazon, the Pop Mart website, as well as in the toy retailer's various UK outlets. Among these are London's famous Oxford Street, as well as Westfield shopping centres and Manchester's Chinatown district. A single model can cost anywhere from £13.50 to £211, depending on the rarity of the design. A blind box of six from Pop Mart will set you back a cool £105. You can also pick up the figurines in Harrods for a limited time. What are Labubu and why are they so popular? LABUBU is a brand of plushies designed by Hong Kong-born artist Kasing Lung and loved by celebrities like Olivia Attwood, Dua Lipa and Rihanna. The brand made its debut in 2015, but skyrocketed in global popularity after hitting Pop Mart shelves in 2019. Pop Mart is a Chinese toy retailer, known for its collectible designer models that are often sold in a blind box format, meaning you don't know what you've got until you've opened it. After mammoth success overseas, the Labubu craze has now made its way to the UK. The first three months of 2025 were wildly successful for the brand, with Brits searching high and low to nab one of the quirky figurines. Since opening stores in London and Manchester over the last 12 months, Labubu dolls have become cult collectibles among grown British women. Labubus come in an array of vibrant colours, unique shapes and various sizes, spanning from plush toys to striking vinyl figures. They come as little toys you can hook on your handbag, as well as mega-sized figures and quirky home decorations.
BBC News
20 hours ago
- BBC News
Labubu: How the Pop Mart dolls conquered the world
Whether you reckon they are cute, ugly or just plain weird, chances are you have heard of the furry dolls that have become a global sensation - a monster, the elf-like creature from Chinese toy maker Pop Mart is now a viral purchase. And it has no dearth of celebrity advocates: Rihanna, Dua Lipa, Kim Kardashian and Blackpink's Lisa. Ordinary folk are just as obsessed - from Shanghai to London, the long queues to snap up the doll have made headlines, sometimes descending into fights even."You get such a sense of achievement when you are able to get it among such fierce competition," says avowed fan Fiona world's fascination with Labubu has almost tripled Pop Mart's profits in the past year - and, according to some, even energised Chinese soft power, which has been bruised by the pandemic and a strained relationship with the how did we get here? What exactly is Labubu? It's a question that still bothers many - and even those who know the answer are not entirely sure they can explain the is both a fictional character and a brand. The word itself doesn't mean anything. It's the name of a character in "The Monsters" toy series created by Hong Kong-born artist Kasing vinyl faces are attached to plush bodies, and come with a signature look - pointy ears, big eyes and a mischievous grin showing exactly nine teeth. A curious yet divided internet can't seem to decide if they are adorable or bizarre. According to its retailer's official website, Labubu is "kind-hearted and always wants to help, but often accidentally achieves the opposite".The Labubu dolls have appeared in several series of "The Monsters", such as "Big into Energy", "Have a Seat", "Exciting Macaron" and "Fall in Wild".The Labubu brand also has other characters from its universe, which have inspired their own popular dolls - such as the tribe's leader Zimomo, her boyfriend Tycoco and her friend the untrained eye, some of these dolls are hard to distinguish from one another. The connoisseurs would know but Labubu's fame has certainly rubbed off, with other specimens in the family also flying off the shelves. Who sells Labubu? Pop Mart had been selling so-called blind boxes - where customers only found out what they had bought when they opened the package - for some years when they tied up with Kasing Lung for the rights to was 2019, nearly a decade after entrepreneur Wang Ning opened Pop Mart as a variety store, similar to a pound shop, in Beijing. When the blind boxes became a success, Pop Mart launched the first series in 2016, selling Molly dolls - child-like figurines created by Hong Kong artist Kenny Wong. But it was the Labubu sales that fuelled Pop Mart's growth and in December 2020, it began selling shares on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. Those shares have soared by more than 500% in the last Mart itself has now become a major retailer. It operates more than 2,000 vending machines, or "roboshops", around the world. And you can now buy Labubu dolls in stores, physical or virtual, in more than 30 countries, from the US and UK to Australia and Singapore, although many of them have recently paused sales due to overwhelming demand. Sales from outside mainland China contributed to nearly 40% of its total revenue in demand did not rise overnight though. It actually took a few years for the elfin monsters to break into the mainstream. How did Labubu go global? Before the world discovered Labubu, their fame was limited to China. They started to become a hit just as the country emerged from the pandemic in late 2022, according to Ashley Dudarenok, founder of China-focused research firm ChoZan."Post-pandemic, a lot of people in China felt that they wanted to emotionally escape… and Labubu was a very charming but chaotic character," she says. "It embodied that anti-perfectionism."The Chinese internet, which is huge and competitive, produces plenty of viral trends that don't go global. But this one did and its popularity quickly spread to neighbouring South East who lives in Canada, says she first heard about Labubu from Filipino friends in 2023. That's when she started buying them - she says she finds them cute, but their increasing popularity is a major draw: "The more popular it gets the more I want it."My husband doesn't understand why me, someone in their 30s, would be so fixated on something like this, like caring about which colour to get." It helps that it's also affordable, she adds. Although surging demand has pushed up prices on the second-hand market, Fiona says the original price, which ranged from C$25 ($18; £14) to C$70 for most Labubu dolls, was "acceptable" to most people she knows."That's pretty much how much a bag accessory would cost anyway these days, most people would be able to afford it," she popularity soared in April 2024, when Thai-born K-pop superstar Lisa began posting photos on Instagram with various Labubu dolls. And then, other global celebrities turned the dolls into an international phenomenon this Rihanna was photographed with a Labubu toy clipped to her Louis Vuitton bag in February. Influencer Kim Kardashian shared her collection of 10 Labubu dolls with her Instagram following in April. And in May, former England football captain Sir David Beckham also took to Instagram with a photo of a Labubu, given to him by his the dolls feel ubiquitous, regularly spotted not just online but also on friends, colleagues or passersby. What's behind the Labubu obsession? Put simply, we don't know. Like most viral trends, Labubu's appeal is hard to explain - the result of timing, taste and the randomness that is the is certainly happy with the outcome. State news agency Xinhua says Labubu "shows the appeal of Chinese creativity, quality and culture in a language the world can understand", while giving everyone the chance to see "cool China".Xinhua has other examples that show "Chinese cultural IP is going global": the video game Black Myth: Wukong and the hit animated film Nezha. Some analysts seem surprised that Chinese companies - from EV makers and AI developers to retailers - are so successful despite Western unease over Beijing's ambitions."BYD, DeepSeek, all of these companies have one very interesting thing in common, including Labubu," Chris Pereira, founder and chief executive of consultancy firm iMpact, told BBC News."They're so good that no one cares they're from China. You can't ignore them."Meanwhile, Lababu continue to rack up social media followers with millions watching new owners unbox their prized purchase. One of the most popular videos, posted in December, shows curious US airport security staff huddling around a traveller's unopened Labubu box to figure out which doll is element of surprise is a big part of the appeal, says Desmond Tan, a longtime collector, as he walks around a Pop Mart store in Singapore vigorously shaking blind boxes before deciding which one to buy. This is a common sight in Pop collects "chaser" characters, special editions from Pop Mart's various toy series, which include Labubu. On average, Desmond says, he finds a chaser in one out of every 10 boxes he buys. It's a good strike rate, he claims, compared to the typical odds: one in 100."Being able to get the chaser from shaking the box, learning how to feel the difference…," is deeply satisfying for him."If I can get it in just one or two tries, I'm very happy!"
