AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE,
BEIJING: The retired Soviet aircraft carrier Minsk, now a popular Chinese tourist attraction, will remain a military theme park after a new owner bought it at an auction, state media reported Thursday.
CITIC Shenzhen Group, an investment company, bought the 34-year-old vessel for 128.3 million yuan (16 million dollars) at an auction Wednesday at Minsk's home, the south Chinese city of Shenzhen, the Xinhua news agency said.
CITIC Shenzhen Group will invest further in developing the floating theme park while maintaining its military style, the group's general manager, Guo Zhirong, told Xinhua.
The aircraft carrier was put up for auction earlier this year after its former owner Minsk World Industries Co. went bankrupt.
Once the pride of the Soviet Union, the Minsk was sold for scrap to a South Korean company in the 1990s, before being passed on to Minsk World Industries Co.
Once it had been renovated and equipped with restaurants and beauty salons, it became a fairly successful tourist attraction.
It recorded a total of 33,000 visitors during the Lunar New Year holiday early this year, according to Xinhua.
