Not to be confused with the Titanic II project from Clive Palmer and the Blue Star Line, which is now widely considered to be dead in the water, NPR is reporting that a Chinese shipbuilder has begun building a full-sized stationary replica of the original ill-fated Titanic.
Following the popularity of James Cameron's hit 1997 "Titanic" film, the project seeks to respectfully capitalize on the worldwide fascination with the sunken ocean liner, to the point that the permanently docked vessel will offer simulations of the disaster. Visitors to the Daying County, Sichuan province reservoir location will have the opportunity to also dine and stay aboard the ship, itself more of a theme park attraction than a traditional cruise experience.
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Unlike the stalled Titanic II project, which has yet to secure a shipbuilding contract from a firm in the Jiangsu province, the Chinese attraction has already begun construction. The expected dimensions of the ship are over 882 feet in length and around 92 feet in width, and reconstructed interior venues are set to include a ballroom, theater, pool and first-class cabins, presumably where overnight patrons will be able to sleep. Also likely to be included are the ship's famed grand staircase, as well as a dining room and upper boat deck.
The project is reported to cost over $145 million as part of a larger overall Daying County resort, and the attraction is anticipating completion by the end of 2017. Overseeing the design is Hollywood production designer and producer Curtis Schnell, who added, "We're trying to get as close as we can. We are not building every room in the ship, by any means, but the shell of the ship and the exteriors will be quite accurate, there will be interior rooms to be able to tour and see from the standpoint of historical accuracy."
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The success of Titanic Belfast as the Best European Attraction at the 2016 World Travel Awards is certainly a precursor to the potential of a Titanic replica. The tourist attraction in Northern Ireland is a fantastic museum situated on the site of the original's Harland & Wolff shipyard that conveys the ship's entire history in fascinating detail. Outside, the outline of where the ship once stood when being built is a ghostly reminder of its tactile existence.
For those who can not afford to dive to the wreck site two-and-a-half miles below the surface of the Atlantic Ocean, an actual scale model would take it one step further in realizing the ship in all its former glory and following tragedy. Here's hoping it sees the light of day unlike Titanic II.
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