From faked Austrian villages to cloned Russian jets, China’s reputation for shameless counterfeiting is well-earned. Now, a Chinese firm has plans to build a replica of the Titanic and take visitors on a morbid ride that recreates the sinking of the original.
The plan, put forth by the Seven Star Energy Investment Group group, calls for the billion yuan ($165 million) life-size replica — modelled after the Titanic’s sister ship, the Olympic — to be installed at a site along the Qi river in central Sichuan province, roughly 1500km from the nearest ocean. Construction is expected to be complete by 2016.
“We think it’s worth spreading the spirit of the Titanic. The universal love and sense of responsibility shown during the Titanic shipwreck represents the spiritual richness of human civilisation,” Seven Star Energy’s CEO, Su Shaojun, told a media conference on Sunday.
And to help visitors really get a feel for this “universal love and sense of responsibility,” the attraction will also offer a “6D” simulator that recreates the ship’s sinking.
“When the ship hits the iceberg, it will shake, it will tumble,” Su said. “We will let people experience water coming in by using sound and light effects … They will think: ‘The water will drown me. I must escape with my life.’”
Yes, because nothing better embodies love and responsibility than the overwhelming sense of self-preservation. And it’s not like charging people to vicariously experience one of history’s worst maritime disasters is in any way disrespectful to the 1500 people that lost their lives, right? [The Guardian]