Which country unveiled the first underground hotel in the world, opened in Shanghai in 2018?

Introduction / Context:
Around 2018, news reports highlighted the opening of a highly unusual luxury hotel that was built mostly below ground level in a repurposed quarry. The project drew global attention as the first of its kind, often described as the first underground hotel in the world. General knowledge questions about such record breaking infrastructure projects are common in competitive exams, because they combine geography, tourism, and technological achievement in a single fact. This question checks whether you can link the project with the correct country.

Given Data / Assumptions:

The hotel is described as the first underground hotel in the world.
It opened in a city named Shanghai in 2018.
The options list Japan, Dubai, China, and Malaysia as possible countries.
We assume the term underground hotel refers to the widely reported quarry hotel project that extends many floors below ground level.

Concept / Approach:
The key to the question is recognizing Shanghai as a city in China and remembering that the much publicised underground quarry hotel is located there. The hotel often appears in news as the InterContinental Shanghai Wonderland or the quarry hotel. Since the location is clearly connected with Shanghai, the task becomes a matter of matching Shanghai with its country. Basic world geography knowledge tells us that Shanghai is a major coastal city in China. Once this is recalled, the correct option becomes straightforward.

Step-by-Step Solution:
Step 1: Identify the landmark mentioned in the question. It refers to the first underground hotel in the world that opened in 2018. Step 2: Recall that this hotel was built in a converted quarry and is widely known as the InterContinental Shanghai Wonderland. Step 3: Note the city name Shanghai in the title, which is a clear clue. Step 4: Remember that Shanghai is one of the largest and most famous cities in China, not in Japan, Dubai, or Malaysia. Step 5: Match Shanghai with China and choose the option that names China as the country.

Verification / Alternative check:
As an additional check, you can recall that Dubai, while known for many record breaking buildings, is a city in the United Arab Emirates and is not in the options as a country by itself in a strict sense. Similarly, Japan and Malaysia have their own tourism projects but are not associated with the famous quarry hotel in Shanghai. Looking at news images of the hotel, you may recall that the articles clearly labeled the location as near Shanghai in China. This cross check with geographic knowledge strongly confirms China as the right answer.

Why Other Options Are Wrong:
Japan: Well known for advanced engineering, but no major news connected Japan with the first underground quarry hotel opened in Shanghai. Dubai: Famous for iconic skyscrapers and artificial islands, but the quarry hotel project was not built in Dubai. Malaysia: A popular tourist destination, yet there was no widely reported world first underground hotel opening there in 2018.

Common Pitfalls:
Students may see Dubai in the options and select it because of its reputation for unusual luxury buildings, without noting that the question clearly names Shanghai. Others might overlook the importance of the city clue and try to recall the project by memory alone. Some candidates confuse underground structures with underwater hotels or other experimental projects. To avoid such errors, focus on all parts of the question stem, especially place names, and relate them to basic geography before answering.

Final Answer:
The first underground hotel that opened in Shanghai in 2018 is located in China.