China’s theme parks chase a future built on ‘stories,’ not ‘spectacle’

China’s theme parks chase a future built on ‘stories,’ not ‘spectacle’

As winter sets in, some theme parks in China have rolled out a host of adjustments to entice visitors amid the cold weather. But challenges lie ahead, as the 2025 China Theme Park Competitiveness ­Evaluation Report, released at a seminar held recently in Guangzhou, South China's Guangdong Province, shows that in 2025, the industry has yet to see a clear rebound, with visitor numbers continuing the slight decline seen in 2024.