A 9-SQUARE-KILOMETER ecological resort in Yantian District will be open to visitors July 28 on a trail basis, the Shenzhen Special Zone Daily reported yesterday.

The ecological resort, named East Overseas Chinese Town (OCT), includes a tea-themed park, an artificial gorge, a waterfall, steep cliffs and mountains.

The 2-square-kilometer tea-themed park has attractions like a hot spring town similar to Interlagen in Switzerland, a tea garden and 13,000 square meters of wetland.

East OCT, built on virgin land along the city’s eastern coast, is run by solar power.

The resort, with a total investment of 3.5 billion yuan (US$461 million), was originally scheduled to debut in October last year.

First approved by the Shenzhen Municipal Government in March 2003, the project began construction at the end of 2004.

East OCT briefly opened to the public during the weeklong Spring Festival holiday in February. (Tan Xiaomi)