Asia's first Legoland opens in Malaysia

JOHOR BAHRU, Malaysia (AFP) - Asia's first Legoland theme park opened to packed crowds on Saturday in southern Malaysia, with its cluster of attractions expected to transform the sleepy region into a thriving tourist hub.

An eager crowd of 10,000 people visited the 76-acre theme park in Johor state - across a narrow waterway from Singapore - which features a variety of rides and thousands of Lego models made out of the popular toy bricks.

The visitors were greeted by costumed characters as confetti and balloons were launched into the air amid a special performance by a marching brass band from Denmark.

Back in 2011 earthmovers had flattened a vast expanse of oil palm-covered hills to make way for the 31-hectare theme park, one of the main attractions of a new city and economic zone called Iskandar Malaysia.