China's New Titanic tourist attraction to offer 'hit the iceberg' experience

NEW DELHI: A century after the ill-fated RMS Titanic sank on its maiden voyage, claiming 1,500 lives, a brand new avatar of the ship is being put together in China.
Christened the New Titanic, the full-scale replica recently began construction in China's Sichuan province, more than 1,200 kilometres away from the sea.
The Star Energy Investment Group's 1 billion yuan ($145 million) venture is expected to enjoy smoother sailing than its original, as part of a larger tourist resort on the banks of the Qijiang River.

The New Titanic is being created based on the ship's original design, complete with ornate ballroom, theatre and swimming pool. Even the food on the menu will be the same as on the 1912 voyage. According to a Reuters report, there will be screenings of James Cameron's 1997 blockbuster film "Titanic" on board.
That's not all. Along with modern amenities like Wi-Fi, the project will also feature a "hit the iceberg" experience: a simulation of the iceberg collision that doomed the vessel, which was touted to be "unsinkable."
"We're trying to get as close as we can," Chief Executive Su Shaojun said. "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."
The ambitious project has received its fair share of criticism from those who called it an exploitation of the disaster. In their defense, the group behind the New Titanic project said in a tweet, "Titanic is an epic tragedy of a century ago, but the glory of the humanity has existed forever and should be commemorated and inherited."

The New Titanic was initially planned for 2013, but got delayed after a number of setbacks. It is scheduled to open to public by the end of 2017.