Sheshan resort to host more overnight visitors

At least 50 percent of foreign tourists visiting Shanghai Sheshan National Tourist Resort are expected to stay overnight by the end of 2015, according to a three-year construction plan for the resort issued by the municipal government Wednesday.

The resort is expected to attract more than 1.5 million tourists every year, bringing in 6 billion yuan ($978.8 million) in tourism revenue, according to the plan.

The three-year plan aims to create a resort that is an international cosmopolitan destination and an nationally recognized eco-tourism resort. After 18 years of construction, the resort sits on nearly 75 square kilometers of land in Songjiang district, of which 64 square kilometers has been designated as ecological space.

The remaining "core" of the resort will feature six different types of tourism zones. The leisure and recreation area includes the Happy Valley amusement park and the Shanghai Sculpture Park. An ecological and cultural zone comprises the Sheshan National Forest Park. A nostalgic tourism zone holds the Guangfulin relics park and a science zone contains the Chenshan Botanical Garden and Songjiang University Town. There is also a sports center that includes the Tianma golf course and racing circuit.

Public Wi-Fi will be available across the entire resort. 

The local government has imposed strict environmental standards on the resort. Green space must account for more than 60 percent of the resort's total area. The resort plans to build five additional parking lots with 5,000 spaces by the end of 2015.