FOR a travel enthusiast like me, seeing the whole world is a dream that I hope to fulfill in this lifetime. While Jules Verne’s classic novel took Phileas Fogg Around the World in 80 Days, the Window of the World in Shenzhen, Guangdong Province, China, can let you see the globally renowned landmarks from all over the world in just a day.
From Guangzhou, my friend and I took an hour-ride train to Shenzhen. Arriving at the train station, we transferred to their mass transit which led us to the Window of the World stop.
Right at the subway, we exited a glass pyramid, which turned out to be The Louvre in Paris, and found ourselves standing in front of the entrance of the theme park. At only ¥180, one can enjoy the whole park from 9 a.m. until 10:30 p.m.
Entry to the Evening Show, which costs ¥60, is at 7:30 p.m. Take note though that there are no Chinese landmarks here because they are found in another theme park, also in Shenzhen, which is the Splendid China Folk Village.
World Stage
At the entrance, water cascades from an elevated area where famous sculptures, like Michelangelo’s David, stood. We climbed the steps and upon reaching the top, we were greeted by an amphitheater with a giant globe in the middle. (It was only when we were exiting the park that we saw the globe opening up to become a huge stage for the night show.)
Europe
The Eiffel Tower stands tall behind the global stage at the world square. Apparently, the replica of the tower is only one-third the size of the original one in Paris, but still the tallest structure in the theme park. A few meters away from the tower is the Arc De Triomphe. Surrounding this area are various structures from different countries in Europe. There’s St. Peter’s Square of the Vatican, the Acropolis of Athens, the Colosseum and Trevi Fountain of Rome, the Leaning Tower of Pisa, Saint Basil’s Cathedral of Moscow, and the Stonehenge, Buckingham Palace and the London Bridge of the UK, among many others.
Americas
There are plenty of attractions from the USA that can be found inside the park, like New York City (before the 9/11 incident since the Twin Towers were still present), Statue of Liberty, Mt. Rushmore, the White House, and other known tourist spots, including Niagara Falls, which separates Canada and the US at a certain point. South America is rich in culture and heritage sites so don’t be surprised to find the Christ the Redeemer of Brazil, the Heads of Easter Island in Chile, the Inca Lost City, and the Giant Stone Statue of Mexico just nearby.
Africa
The most prominent African landmark is the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt, complete with an exhibition hall. Apart from that, one can also find the Lighthouse of Alexandria and the Abu Simbel Temples of Egypt, the African dwellings, and Kenya Wildlife. Only a few attractions can be found in the African zone.
Oceania
Like Africa, the Oceania Zone has little to offer. Still, one can find the dwellings of the Maori tribes of New Zealand and many of Australia’s attractions, namely, Uluru or Ayers Rock, the Sydney Opera House, and the Sydney Harbour Bridge.
Asia
Minus the familiar sights of mainland China, Asia still has several landmarks to offer to visitors of the Window of the World. India has a lot of structures like the famous Taj Mahal, Moduohala Holy Well, and the Bhaja Chaitya Hall in Mumbai.
Present in the Asian zone are the Merlion of Singapore, Borobudur of Indonesia, Angkor Wat of Cambodia, Shwedagon Pagoda of Myanmar, Grand Royal Palace of Thailand, Gyeongbukgong Palace of South Korea, and many others.
Japan has many tourist spots as well, including Mt. Fuji and the Katsura Imperial Villa.
Apart from the replicas of these famous landmarks, Window of the World also has other artworks, rides, activities, and eateries inside its premises. Still, I yearn to visit the actual places featured in this enriching theme park. Maybe, someday, it will happen, one place at a time.
Claire Marie Algarme blogs at http://firsttimetravels.com. Follow her as @firsttimetravel on Twitter and Instagram.
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