In time for the celebrated cartoon character's 40th birthday, Hello Kitty Park has opened its doors for a special inauguration ceremony in China.

Japanese company Sanrio, which created Hello Kitty in 1974, has joined with California-based entertainment design firm Hettema Group to bring the $215m park to life.

The sprawling park is divided into six zones, each of which features over 10 visitor attractions, including rides and shows. Five of the zones will be 'hosted' by a famous Sanrio character.

Located in Zhejiang Province, west of Shanghai, Hello Kitty Park is scheduled to open to the public on New Year's Day.

The China venue is the third Hello Kitty theme park in the world. The two others, Puroland and Harmonyland, are both in Japan and attract millions of people each year.