Shanghai authorities are planning to convert a riverside park in Baoshan district into a theme park to commemorate the Battle of Songhu in 1937.

The three-month battle between Chinese and Japanese troops began Aug 13, 1937, and took place in downtown Shanghai as well as in outlying towns and the beaches of Jiangsu province.

The battle eventually escalated into a full-scale war waged by Japan that would involve China's major regions.

Tang Lei, director of the Songhu Anti-Japanese War Memorial Hall, said one major change involves a 2-kilometer path. Plans call for war-themed sculptures and paintings to line the walkway.

A large sculpture honoring the battle will be placed at the park's entrance and city officials are considering erecting a monument on a park hill. The conversion will begin this year, Tang said.

The floor space of the exhibition area at Songhu Anti-Japanese War Memorial Hall will also be quadrupled from its current size of 500 square meters.