Gold-hungry China plans to open what it has billed the world's first theme park dedicated entirely to the precious metal, state media reports.
Construction of the theme park kicked off near a working mine at Rushan city, east China's Shandong province, the Xinhua news agency says.
When the 3.6-square-kilometre, $A34 million park is completed, it will allow visitors to watch gold being mined and processed.
It will also include a DIY area where the visitors themselves can be gold miners for a day, the agency says.
China is the world's third-biggest market for gold after India and the United States, the World Gold Council says.
Last year, Chinese demand for gold rose 8 per cent to more than 250 tonnes, the council's data showed.
Gold plays an important role in Chinese culture and is evident everywhere from temple decorations to the jewellery of newlyweds and the dental cavities of the rich.
Last year, the China Economic Daily issued a special edition, published in gold.
It came in two versions, with the more expensive priced at $A11,300 (6,726 Euros) and used 500 grams of gold.