China ponders Neverland replica

Neverland ranch has become a magnet for grieving Jackson fans

Chinese fans of Michael Jackson need never say goodbye - according to the Chinese state media.

A group of ten investors has a $14.6m (£9m) plan to build a replica of the Neverland ranch in Shanghai.

Mr Jackson's former home and playground, now a magnet for distressed fans and the media, will be recreated on a smaller scale, China Daily said.

It will copy Neverland's design, but with "Chinese characteristics", a spokeswoman for the investors said.

Just one-seventeenth the size of the 2,800-acre property in southern California's Santa Barbara County, the development is set to offer "an alternative pilgrimage spot" for the pop king's fans, China Daily said.

"Michael's contribution to the pop music world is unparalleled. By building a Neverland here in China, we want to pay tribute to him and at the same time offer the Chinese people an outlet for expressing their love toward him," said one of the investors, businessman Qiu Xuefan, director of the Wenzhou Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai.

Jackson legacy

The idea is to build the Chinese version of Neverland on Chongming Island, off the coast of Shanghai.

Wu Pei, spokeswoman for the project, said it would be very much like the original one, with some of the possessions of the superstar on display.

Bubbles the chimpanzee was one of Jackson's more famous playmates

But designers would also add Chinese characteristics to have it blend in with the local environment, she said.

Thousands of Chinese fans have wept and mourned their idol, emotions not often seen in public, the newspaper noted.

Wei Wei, deputy director of Michael Jackson's Chinese Fan Club, said that while he embraced the idea of a pilgrimage site for the pop star, entrance to a Chinese Neverland should be free to all.

Mr Qiu reportedly denied wanting to make money from the plan, saying he only wanted to help keep alive the pop icon's memory.

"I grew up listening to Michael's music, which is so fantastic," he said.

"His music is a legacy to the world, which should not be forgotten. We also would like to set up a fund, with profits being used to help encourage children with musical talent," he added.