The London-based Madame Tussauds wax museum is set to open a new branch in Beijing in May amid China's growing tourist market fueled by a booming middle class.

The Beijing branch of the museum, located on Qianmen, one of the oldest shopping streets in the capital, will feature celebrities, Chinese politicians, and music and movie stars, both domestic and international, with eight exhibition areas including China's spirit, political leaders, sports stars and famous singers.

In recent years, the British amusement venue operator Merlin Entertainments Group has been speeding up efforts to expand its presence in China by opening a number of museums in China, including Hong Kong, Shanghai, Wuhan and Xiamen.

The museum, which has long been famous in Europe, opened in 1835. Madame Tussauds Hong Kong is the first one opened in China, and the number of visitors has grown sevenfold since it opened in 2000. Visits to the Shanghai museum have tripled since it opened in 2006.

lvchang@chinadaily.com.cn