The first-phase project of The Cultural Tourism City of Aoyuan in Yingde has been basically finished. The attraction is estimated to hold its soft opening by October 1, according to the recent Key Projects Promotion On-site Meeting 2020. Located in Yinghong County, Yingde, Qingyuan, China, the total investment of the project is about 15 billion RMB (about 2.1 billion USD) with a total planning area of 8,000 mu (about 5.3 square kilometers). Among it, the single investment of Chocolate Kingdom Theme Park is about 3.8 billion RMB (about 543 million USD).
The project mainly includes Chocolate Kingdom Theme Park, Tea and Chocolate Town, DoubleTree by Hilton Castle Hotel, Karst Spring & Forest Waterpark, River & Mountain Resort and production bases of black tea and chocolate industries. Taking advantage of the natural karst landform that enjoys the reputation of Guilin in Guangdong and the location that it is near Yingshi Stone Park and Black Tea Valley, protective development will be proceeded, thus boosting “Tourism + Industry” development. Once the initiation phrase is completed, it will epitomize the mode of specialty town, comprehensive tourism, and city-industry integration.

There are seven themed zones within Chocolate Kingdom Theme Park, a theme park with chocolate culture at its core, including Chocolate Town, the Forest of Theobroma Cacao L., Chocolate Museum, Chocolate Factory, and Three Kingdoms of Chocolate. There is a number of excellent amusement equipment in the attraction such as fashionable naked-eye 3D cinema, stunning slide Ferris wheel, and innovatively-designed indoor starry-sky roller coaster.
In addition, Karst Spring & Forest Waterpark is ingeniously designed by China Aoyuan Group Limited to make a name as a waterpark destination based on its karst landform. 30 exquisitely-designed baths of six senses and Yingshi Stone (stone speciality in Yingde) hot spring themeparks are built to fill the market void of southern China. Multiple amusement facilities such as, Fengqing beach, wave pool, kid's wet play zone, dreamy stage and water slide are set within the themepark, aiming to build an all-season hot spring vacation destination for all age groups.
The attraction is expected to receive 5 million tourists and to reach revenue of 6 billion RMB (857 million USD) annually. About 1,500 new jobs were created and among them, 1,000 vacancies were taken by locals and farmers whose farmland had been expropriated with certain compensation. Presently, the main construction of Chocolate Kingdom Theme Park, Tea and Chocolate Town, Yinde Spring & Forest Waterpark and Double Tree by Hilton Hot Spring Hotel were completed and more than 95% facilities and equipment have been assembled. The equipment is undergoing debugging procedure, national and provincial inspections. Relevant formalities and business licenses are underway for formal business opening. (2020/08, 189G)