A new Titanic is about to give birth. Of course, this time it will not have such a tragic end as the mythical ocean liner that sank in 1912 and that has generated an inexhaustible source of paintings, novels, museums or movies, such as the 1997 one starring Leonardo diCaprio and Kate Winslet.
This new ocean liner will be a life-size replica of the original and will be located in China, in the province of Sichuan. It is a project by Chinese businessman Su Shaojun, one of the biggest fans of both the ship and the film, who has invested around 120 million euros.
This 230-ton steel ‘copy’ of the Titanic will measure 269 meters long by 28 meters wide and will feature a working steam engine and original reproductions including: a ballroom, theater, swimming pool, cabins for the passage, the famous grand staircase that served as the entrance to the first class.
It will be part of a theme park dedicated to the mythical Titanic and, six years after work began, the project seems to be close to completion. A report by the consulting firm Aecom predicted, before the pandemic, that these venues would receive, in 2020, 230 million visitors and generate almost 10,000 million euros just from ticket sales.
Criticism for insensitive
During the early years of its construction, investor Su Shaojun was criticized by members of the British Titanic Society for turning a tragedy, in which people lost their lives, into a theme park attraction.
“If he knew this was being replicated, I think he would be rolling over in his grave. They are using the Titanic because of the tragedy, it’s disturbing,” Jean Legg, whose father was a steward on the ship, told the BBC, which also reported that one of Mr. Su’s aspirations included a simulated iceberg crash, an idea he ultimately scrapped.
Cult of the Titanic
The Sichuan Titanic is not the only recent attempt to recreate the sunken ocean liner. Australian tycoon Clive Palmer had aimed to launch a working replica of the ship, the Titanic II, by 2022, but the project had to be delayed by at least two years and Australian media reported that the company building it had gone out of business.
Therefore, the one in Sichuan will be the only replica that will give birth in the short term. “I hope this ship will be here in 100 or 200 years,” said its creator, who would like to have the actors from the movie Jack (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Rose (Kate Winslet) at the opening ceremony. Apart from this ‘copy’, there are museums such as the Titanic Belfast and the Titanic Museum in the states of Tennessee and Missouri (United States).
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