A replica of the Niagara Falls in Window of the World in Shenzhen, China

Take a boat-ride through the Amazon rainforest, trek the marble quarries and the ?wine tale? of Cinque Terre in Italy, stare at sifting Saharan sand dunes, or strap up to ski along Arctic slopes ? all here in Calcutta.

A unique theme park, being planned across 200 acres off EM Bypass, proposes to recreate some of the ecological wonders of the world in miniature forms to offer a ?never-before global trek in the lap of Nature?.

The Rs 200-crore project is the brainchild of Robert Lee, a third-generation Chinese Indian, and a leading leather industrialist in town, inspired by Window of the World in Shenzhen, China, housing miniature replicas of architectural masterpieces from around the world.

This concept will be modified in Calcutta to recreate the geographical marvels of the world. Thus, instead of the Kremlin, the Manhattan skyline, the Acropolis, the Coliseum and the Sydney Harbour, the city theme park could house natural wonders like the Australian Outback, the Savannah, the Niagara Falls, Mount Fuji or the Borneo rainforest.

State tourism minister Manab Mukherjee, having seen a preliminary proposal, feels the Calcutta theme park project has ?tremendous tourism potential?, if and when it happens.

?The place will be developed as a miniature Earth, with two-thirds covered by waterbodies. The land area will showcase the ecological wonders set in landscaped greens with occasional temporary built forms purely for functional needs made from eco-friendly materials,? explains architect-planner Dulal Mukherjee, who is creating the design solution.

Lee and Mukherjee, during a recent trip to China, met and discussed the plans with Luxin Huang, deputy director, China Academy of Urban Planning and Design (CAUPD), based in Beijing and Rengen Liu, vice-president of the institute and the brain behind Window of the World.

?They have promised full support, both financial and technological,? says Lee. CAUPD is even willing to set up a joint venture with the state government, with part financial support by Lee himself, who already owns a 100-acre land bank and hopes to acquire another 100 acres for the dream theme park, about 2.5 km from Science City.

Architect Mukherjee promises ?surprises as you round every bend? in the layout, with the entire development ?low-key and on a human scale?.

Efforts will be made to create small replicas of the Mediterranean Sea, the Pacific Ocean or the South China Sea, with the water mirroring the typical hue and other marine features like corals and coloured fish replicated wherever possible. A basket of entertainment options is also being planned.

While battery boats will ferry visitors across the water, an intricate network of walkways will ensure easy access to the eco wonders, with battery-operated vehicles like golf carts as a transportation option.

?We will need a lot of hi-tech help from the Chinese, particularly where weather-control will be required, like recreating igloos and simulating the Alaskan ski slopes,? Mukherjee says.

Lee is confident all the help will be forthcoming from the quasi-government Chinese agency (CAUPD), which has also extended an invitation to a delegation from the city in August to study the Window of the World model.