A TOWN in eastern China announced plans Saturday to turn itself into the world’s best astronomy-themed tourist site, as the local government signed a deal with global organizations for cooperation.

Xuyi county, located in Jiangsu Province, is currently famous in China for its crayfish. But it has decided to think bigger.

The local government has begun cooperating with the International Planetarium Society (IPS), the “largest and most authoritative organization of planetarium professionals in the world,” as its introduction claims.

British astronomy development company Immersive Dome Experience has also joined the project.

According to pictures provided by the site planners, this Xuyi IPS Starry Town will have a 70-meter ring-shaped complex called “The Sky Eye,” and a tourist area with traditional Chinese architecture.

The construction of the town is planned to start later this year, and finish by 2020. The initial investment is 2 billion yuan (US310 million).

(SD-Agencies)