A project to rebuild the Titanic, the first one in the world to original scale, is set to be started by the end of this year in Daying county, Sichuan province, West China Metropolis Daily reported on Wednesday.

As part of the province's 10-billion-yuan ($1.64 billion) tourist investment, the new Titanic will be built to original size; 270 meters long, and 28 meters wide.

The project will be carried out by a US company and will commence by the end of this year.

Su Shaojun, head of the investment company for the new Titanic, said that the ship will stay permanently in the county and highlight the original vessel's luxury.

Titanic sank after hitting an iceberg on its maiden voyage from Britain to the United States in April 1912 but its hold on the global imagination remains undiminished.