The Xiexinggang cultural and tourism complex in Qidong is targeted at becoming a distinctive seaside cultural and tourism landmark. [Photo/ntfabu.com]

The Xiexinggang cultural and tourism complex which is under construction in the county-level city of Qidong in Nantong, East China's Jiangsu province, was rated one of the 70 key provincial cultural and tourism industry projects for this year by the Jiangsu Provincial Department of Culture and Tourism on Feb 10.

Invested by China Merchants Group and Country Garden with some 7 billion yuan ($1.08 billion), the project is planned to cover an area of 1.21 million square meters. It will mature into a Caribbean-themed resort complex and a distinctive seaside cultural and tourism landmark.

At present, construction of the commercial section of the first phase of the project has been completed and opened to public on May 30, 2020. A number of renowned brands were introduced, highly recognized by the market.

The second phase of the project, which also has a commercial core, has obtained a construction permit and started construction on September 15, 2020. It plans to offer cultural and tourism business formats only, including stunt performance shows, an immersive interactive navigation science and technology museum, an 80-meter-high Ferris wheel and other characteristic cultural and tourism projects.

In a bid to offer higher-quality vacation experiences to visitors, the second phase commercial area will also be equipped with a Caribbean-style commercial street and various theme hotels. It is scheduled to open in 2023.