BEIJING, August 11 -- The nation's first Hans Christian Andersen children's park is expected to open to the public by the end of next year.

Construction on Shanghai's Yangpu District park will begin soon and is expected to cost more than 100 million yuan (US$12.5 million).

Investors in the project hope the park will bring the magic of Anderson's much-loved children's stories to the city.

Danish author Andersen is famous for his fairy tales and stories, including "The Little Matchstick Girl," "The Princess and the Pea" and "The Ugly Duckling."

"All those famous tales will be found in the theme park," said Su Qi from Shanghai Gujin Investment Co, which invested in the project.

Andersen's tales taught children that appearances can be deceiving, and that there is a magical beauty even within the most unlikely characters.

"Children will be educated through playing in the theme park," Su said.

Visitors to the park will also be able to play developmental games, multi-media games and attend all kinds of cultural contests related to Andersen's tales.

(Source: Shanghai Daily)