Cirque du Soleil will be opening an office in China as it launches its first permanent show in the Asian country by 2018, reported Variety. The show will be based in the eastern city of Hangzhou.

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This week, Cirque du Soleil announced its expansion plans in China, including a 2017 tour with an "Avatar"-inspired theme.

The plan comes three years following Cirque's shutdown in Macau. Its 10-year contract with the Sands China casino ended just three and a half years into the deal, according to The Wall Street Journal.

"We were too early in the market. Macau is a gambling city," Cirque Chief Executive Daniel Lamarre said in a Shanghai press conference Monday. "While there could be a market there in the future, for now there is none."

This time the company is opening with new shareholder Fosun International Ltd.

"China is our No. 1, No. 2, No. 3 priority in the next few years," according to Lamarre. "About 20% of Cirque's acrobats come from China."

"We've been bringing Chinese acrobats around the world," he added. "Today, we're becoming a Chinese citizen."

In April, Fosun, which is based in Shanghai, reportedly bought a 25% stake in Cirque for an undisclosed sum.

The massive Chinese conglomerate has also been looking for assets abroad such as insurers, real estate and resort operators like Club Med.

During the Shanghai press conference Monday, Cirque, together with Fosun, unveiled plans of the 2017 China tour of "Toruk: The First Flight."

"Toruk," inspired by James Cameron's "Avatar," is set to debut in Montreal in December. It will be followed by a short North American tour, then the China tour in 2017.

In September, Cirque plans on opening a Shanghai office in order to design and produce a permanent show in Hangzhou's Xintiandi commercial complex, according to Broadway World.

Hangzhou was reportedly chosen as the permanent show's location because of the city's reputation as a cultural destination. Residents in the area were also known for their strong consumption habits, according to Fosun Chairman Guo Guangchang.

"It's easy to build a theatre, but difficult to come up with good content," said Mr. Guo. "Don't underestimate consumers' consumption potential in China."

"Entertainment will make of a smaller portion of Chinese household expenses as incomes rise," he added.

Tagscirque du soleil china, cirque du soleil, Fosun International Ltd, Toruk–The First Flight, Avatar, James Cameron, Daniel Lamarre