How China’s fake Titanic sank like a stone – and became a symbol of local excess

When Su Shaojun launched an audacious plan to build a life-size replica of the Titanic, he felt he was on to a sure-fire winner. After…

When Su Shaojun launched an audacious plan to build a life-size replica of the Titanic, he felt he was on to a sure-fire winner. After all, James Cameron’s iconic 1997 film had been a worldwide hit – including in China, where it had grossed over US$200 million.

At a press event to unveil the project in 2014, Su invited the actor Bernard Hill – who played the captain of the Titanic in the film – to appear alongside him as he told the assembled reporters in Hong Kong that his company aimed to build a world-class tourist resort.

The Titanic project looked set to ride a wave of Chinese investment. Local governments across the country were pouring billions into cultural and tourism projects at the time, aiming to drive up growth and diversify their economies.

Convinced of success, Su – a veteran entrepreneur – decided to bet all his savings on the venture, selling his stakes in 13 hydropower stations across Zhejiang and Sichuan provinces to fund his vision.

But 11 years later, Su’s full-scale recreation of the Titanic has suffered a similar fate to the original vessel – its rusting hull lies abandoned in an overgrown lot in Daying county in southwest China’s Sichuan province.

The money ran out before the 269-metre-long, 28-metre-wide vessel was ever completed; the interior decoration never even started.

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