Construction on the world's first life-size Titanic replica kicked off in southwest China's Sichuan Province on November 30 with an official keel-laying ceremony.

Construction on the world's first life-size Titanic replica kicked off in southwest China's Sichuan Province on November 30 with an official keel-laying ceremony. [Photo/snxw.com]

Building of the billion-yuan vessel--Unsinkable Titanic--is expected to be completed within 30 months. Eight to ten months are needed for assembling the ship hull, which will be followed by superstructure project and interior decoration.

The 269-meter-long and 28-meter-wide replica, constructed by Wuchang Shipbuilding Industry Group Co.,Ltd, will be permanently docked on the Qijiang River in Daying County, Suining City.

A total of around 26,000 tons of steel are used to produce the ship hull, said Song Jianmin, the project manager from the company.

It is learned that the US-based National Geographic will make a documentary on the building of the ship.

Everything from the ballroom layout and door knobs to the menus will look exactly like it was on the original liner.

Through a high-tech simulation, tourists will experience how it was like when the ill-fated liner hit an iceberg and sank on its maiden voyage on April 10, 1912.

Part of the operation income will go to the Titanic Foundation, which was initiated in March 2015 by Su Shaojun, president of the major investor Seven Star Energy Investment Group. The Foundation aims to aid victims of global maritime disasters.

Former reports said the first 50,000 commemorative tickets went on sale in Hong Kong on June 15, 2015, with a one-night stay priced at 3,000 yuan.

The replica is part of the Romandisea Seven Star International Cultural Tourism Resort in Daying, a city well-known for being home to "China's Dead Sea," a giant landlocked salt lake.

The tourism resort, with a total investment of 10 billion yuan, will cover a planned area of 456 hectares. It is slated to open to the public in 2020.

The resort will feature a number of high-tech supported tourism experiences, such as a large bathing beach with the world’s biggest indoor artificial sky, a fairyland theme park and a 6D dynamic cinema.

We aim to develop a global tourism landmark with our resort, said Shu during a global tourism summit held on the same day.