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Thread: Chinese Theme Parks

  1. #151
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    Slightly OT because it's Korea...

    It may not be a 'Chinese' theme park, but it's Hunger Games and Twilight.


    MOVIES
    ‘Hunger Games’ and ‘Twilight’ Are Getting Their Own Theme Park
    Mahita Gajanan
    Aug 16, 2017
    The studio behind popular film franchises like Hunger Games and Twilight has announced plans to open a theme park in South Korea.
    The movie studio Lionsgate announced Tuesday that it will open Lionsgate Movie World, a 1.3 million-square-foot theme part that will comprise seven different "zones" dedicated to a different film from Lionsgate. The park, which is the first branded outdoor theme park for Lionsgate, will be a part of Jeju Shinhwa World, a resort located on South Korea's Jeju Island.
    Each "zone" of Lionsgate Movie World will be focused on different blockbusters from the studio, including Hunger Games, Twilight, Now You See Me and the upcoming remake of Robin Hood. The zones will feature reproduced streets and towns from the films, rides that bring visitors to scenes from movies and themed restaurants.The movies inspiring the zones at Lionsgate Movie World have collectively grossed about $9 billion at the global box office, according to Lionsgate. The theme park is scheduled to open in 2019.
    Gene Ching
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  2. #152
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    Back on topic - Evergrande theme parks

    China’s newest answer to Disneyland is a mish-mash of Eastern and Western myth and fantasy
    China Evergrande Group Chairman Hui Ka Yan attends a news conference on the property developer's annual results in Hong Kong, China March 28, 2017.


    Hui Ka Yan owns China's biggest property developer by sales. (Reuters/Bobby Yip)

    WRITTEN BY
    Zheping Huang
    OBSESSION
    China's Transition
    August 28, 2017

    It looks like the job of crushing Disneyland in China has been passed from one of the country’s richest men to another.
    China Evergrande Group, a property developer based in southern China and majority-owned by billionaire Hui Ka Yan, announced Sunday (Aug. 27) that it would build 15 amusement parks across the country. Hui’s plans came not long after fellow property tycoon Wang Jianlin gave up on his ambition to beat the Magic Kingdom, as his Dalian Wanda Group offloaded its theme-park assets to reduce its debt burden last month.
    Branded Children’s World, Evergrande’s theme parks will be scattered in second-tier cities including Changsha in central China, Guizhou in southwestern China, and two cities in eastern Zhejiang province, a drive of a few hours from Shanghai, where mainland China’s lone Disney resort is based. Each theme park aims to attract more than 15 million visitors and generate around $3 billion in revenue from tourism-related services annually, the company said in a statement (link in Chinese). Construction will be completed between 2019 and 2022.
    Evergrande has unveiled several theme parks, each costing $7 billion, with local governments earlier this year, but on Sunday the Chinese developer more clearly billed its parks as a direct challenge to Disneyland in China. Evergrande said in the statement that each of its theme parks will host 33 large-scale rides, whereas a Disney theme park usually has just 18 to 22. It added that the Children’s World will be the world’s first “all-indoor, all-weather, all-season” large-scale theme park.
    How does Evergrande hope to win Chinese hearts away from Mickey Mouse? The answer is a cocktail of Chinese and Western fantasies. According to Chinese media reports, Evergrande’s Children’s World will feature Chinese mythological characters as inspiration for rides including Chang’e, the goddess of the moon, and Pan Gu, a giant who created the universe. Meanwhile, parts of the theme parks will be devoted to Western figures including Greek god of the sea Poseidon, Cinderella, and Alice in Wonderland (many might associate Alice and Cinderella with Disney movies, but the characters are from stories in the public domain.)
    Evergrande became China’s biggest property developer by sales last year, but its growth is fueled by high debt too. People who follow its business are skeptical that climbing aboard China’s theme park bandwagon is going to make for a fun ride.
    Those actually sound like some really cool rides. I luv Alice in Wonderland and Chinese myth.
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  3. #153
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    39% rise

    Yeah, this thread is good and robust.

    Theme park operator China Travel sees 39pc rise in profit as tourist numbers and spending continue to soar
    Strong first half leaves company on track to beat full-year profit estimates
    PUBLISHED : Wednesday, 30 August, 2017, 12:32pm
    UPDATED : Wednesday, 30 August, 2017, 10:27pm
    Lam Ka-sing



    China Travel International Investment Hong Kong Limited, which also operates whole leisure resorts, registered net profit of HK$375 million (US$47.9 million), or 6.88 HK cents a share.
    The results leaves the company on track to beat its full-year profit estimate of HK$548 million, polled by Thomson Reuters on seven analysts.
    “The domestic tourism industry maintained double-digit growth, compared with a national 6.9 per cent rise in gross domestic product in the first half of the year,” said its chairman Zhang Fengchun.
    China Travel enjoyed strong 38 per cent growth in income, especially at its core tourist attractions to HK$311 million, Zhang said, including its “Window of the World” theme park in Shenzhen.
    The firm will pay a 3 HK cent dividend per share, up from last year’s 2 HK cents per share.
    The domestic tourism industry maintained double-digit growth, compared with a national 6.9 per cent rise in gross domestic product in the first half of the year CHINA TRAVEL CHAIRMAN ZHANG FENGCHUN
    The company said it is considering a number of proposals to optimise asset structure, including spinning off some of its mainland attractions located at scenic spots for listing on the A-share market.
    “As mainland regulations do not allow listing of ticket sales [operations], to realise the spin-off, we may need to reorganise certain transport assets and auxiliary businesses, such as marketing and sales,” said deputy general manager Tao Xiaobin.
    In addition, China Travel is planning to sell its three-storey shop in Mong Kok, Kowloon. “While the book value is less than HK$100 million, the market price may reach HK$1 billion. The sale can improve the return on assets,” said Tao.
    The group plans to convert its warehouse property in Hung Hom into a hotel or serviced apartments.
    The company owns five hotels in Hong Kong and Macau, including the Metropark Hotel in Kowloon, and two in mainland China, which recorded a 58 per cent rise in profit to HK$61 million in the half. Their total revenue rose 29 per cent to HK$2.35 billion in the period.
    The company also booked a HK$29 million gain from the sale of its Yangzhou Metropark Hotel in Jiangsu Province, in February.
    The company manages 12 theme parks, natural scenic spots, leisure resorts in the mainland, and has equity stakes in all but four, which attracted some 5.2 million visitors, contributing profit of HK$68 million, up 4 per cent from last year.
    The “Window of the World” park enjoyed a massive 133 per cent surge in visitor numbers generated through e-commerce, with that for revenue increasing 70 per cent. After a strong marketing push, the venue also increased group bookings by nearly a quarter.
    Zhang said he is now hopeful of even more robust growth to come, as a result of China’s flagship economic programme, The “Belt and Road Initiative”, adding his firm will explore opportunities along the ancient Silk Road trading routes, which present rich pickings for tourism.
    He admitted, however, he expects stiffer competition in the Chinese travel industry though the average consumer finds more money in their pockets to spend on leisure pursuits.
    “Leading private and foreign-owned travel companies are accelerating their business expansions [here] and market competition is becoming more intense, bringing increased challenges to the company,” Zhang said.
    “Yet, as both China’s GDP per capita and the residents’ consumption increase continuously, the demand for travel consumption is expected to grow in tandem.
    “With the support of the government, investment in the tourism industry will continue to see relatively fast growth.”
    China Travel’s share price dropped slightly from HK$2.29 to HK$2.27 on Wednesday, down 0.87 per cent.
    Gene Ching
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  4. #154
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    Ghost story in the making

    Man found dead inside Hong Kong haunted house, killed by coffin
    BY SHANGHAIIST IN NEWS ON SEP 18, 2017 8:50 PM



    Hong Kong's Ocean Park has closed a Halloween-themed haunted house attraction after a man died on Saturday afternoon from injuries that he sustained after stumbling into a restricted area of the ride.
    The 21-year-old man surnamed Cheung was found unconscious behind the scenes of a seasonal spooky attraction called "Buried Alive." According to the park's website, visitors who dared enter the attraction would "experience being buried alive alone, before fighting their way out of their dark and eerie grave." To go down into the attraction, guests would hop into a coffin-shaped vehicle and slide downwards into the dark, experiencing the horrors within by themselves.



    According to a park spokesperson, Cheung mistakenly ventured into the backstage area of the attraction that is reserved for maintenance staff only. There, he was hit in the head by a moving part of the slide, one of the mechanical coffins.
    After being found, Cheung was rushed to the hospital where he was confirmed dead.
    According to a preliminary investigation, the accident did not involve any instance of mechanical failure.



    Ocean Park has offered their deepest condolences to the victim and his family and have promised to attempt to compensate their loss.
    The haunted house attraction opened in 2001 and this is the first time that a fatal accident has occurred there. Ocean Park has closed the attraction while an investigation is carried out into the incident.
    By Máté Mohos
    [Images via HK01.com]
    A Chinese Ghost Story set up at a theme park ride. The FEAR is high for Halloween 2017.
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  5. #155
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    Hengqin

    I was in Macao in 91. I wasn't impressed by the casinos back then, but they've grown.

    SEPTEMBER 16, 2017 / 7:00 PM / 10 DAYS AGO
    Real Madrid adds luster to China's wannabe 'Orlando' tourist hub
    Farah Master
    4 MIN READ


    A layout of Hengqin under development is displayed inside a Government showroom at Hengqin Island adjacent to Macau, China September 13, 2017. Picture taken September 13, 2017. REUTERS/Bobby Yip

    HENGQIN, China (Reuters) - Just a stone’s throw across a narrow waterway from the world’s largest gambling hub Macau, a former oyster farming island is being transformed into China’s newest tourism haven.

    Dubbed by some as China’s answer to Florida’s Orlando - a global tourist magnet with its cluster of major theme parks - Hengqin has seen property prices more than double over the past two years.

    While still a dusty mass of construction sites, Hengqin now draws millions annually to its anchor attraction, the “Chimelong Ocean Kingdom” theme park, with a slew of hotel, malls and sprawling residential developments being built nearby. Spanish soccer club, Real Madrid, announced last week they would open an interactive “virtual reality” complex in Hengqin, in partnership with Hong Kong-listed developer, Lai Sun Group (0488.HK).

    The 12,000-square metre venue, set to open in 2021, will include virtual reality entertainment and a museum showcasing the club’s history.

    The transformation of Hengqin, which is three times as large as Macau, is part of Beijing’s efforts to bolster links between Hong Kong, Macau and nine cities in the Pearl River Delta region, or so-called “Greater Bay Area”, modelled after other dynamic global bay areas such as Tokyo and San Francisco.

    “Hengqin will be the Orlando of China. Macau is Las Vegas (and) Hong Kong is New York,” said Larry Leung, an executive with Lai Sun that is helping build the Real Madrid complex at its “Novotown” project in Hengqin. “Within an hour you can have them all.”

    Novotown’s entertainment mix will also feature China’s first Lionsgate movie world with theme rides from blockbuster films such as the Hunger Games and Twilight, as well as a National Geographic educational center. And high-end hotel chains and luxury yacht makers are building more hotels and a marina on Hengqin.


    Residential apartments are under construction at Hengqin Island adjacent to Macau, China September 13, 2017. Picture taken September 13, 2017. REUTERS/Bobby Yip
    EXPANDING MACAU

    Chinese officials see Hengqin helping Macau diversify away from casinos to a more wholesome tourism industry. More than 80 percent of Macau’s public revenues come from the gambling sector.

    Businesses in Macau have been encouraged to invest in Hengqin with the government providing cheaper rent and tax subsidies. Galaxy Entertainment (0027.HK), Shun Tak (0242.HK) and Macau Legend have also earmarked developments for Hengqin. Realtors expect property prices to keep rising once a sea bridge linking Hong Kong, and a high speed rail station are completed.

    Hoffman Ma, deputy chairman of Success Universe Group, which operates the Ponte 16 casino in Macau, said Hengqin could take some convention and exhibition business away from the former Portuguese colony.

    “It doesn’t make sense for Macau to do that, due to a consistent labour shortage,” he said.

    Wang Lian, from Wuhan in central China, brought his daughter to watch whale sharks and polar bears at Chimelong Ocean Kingdom recently.

    Industry reports show 8.5 million people visited China’s top theme park last year, more than Hong Kong Disneyland’s 6.1 million, and almost a third of the 28 million people who visited Macau last year.

    “China’s population is so big they need something like this nearby ... its (Hengqin‘s) economic ties will also help Macau develop,” Wang said.

    Additional reporting by Clare Jim; Editing by James Pomfret and Jacqueline Wong
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  6. #156
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    Oriental Science Fiction Valley Park

    There's a vid and a slideshow behind the link.

    NOVEMBER 23, 2017 / 5:29 PM / 3 DAYS AGO
    Virtual reality boom brings giant robots, cyberpunk castles to China
    Joseph Campbell
    3 MIN READ

    GUIYANG, China (Reuters) - Giant robots and futuristic cyberpunk castles rise out of lush mountain slopes on the outskirts of Guiyang, the capital of one of China’s poorest provinces.

    Welcome to China’s first virtual reality theme park, which aims to ride a boom in demand for virtual entertainment that is set to propel tenfold growth in the country’s virtual reality market, to hit almost $8.5 billion by 2020.

    The 330-acre (134-hectare) park in southwestern Guizhou province promises 35 virtual reality attractions, from shoot-‘em-up games and virtual rollercoasters to tours with interstellar aliens of the region’s most scenic spots.

    “After our attraction opens, it will change the entire tourism structure of Guizhou province as well as China’s southwest,” Chief Executive Chen Jianli told Reuters.

    “This is an innovative attraction, because it’s just different,” he said in an interview at the park, part of which is scheduled to open next February.

    The $1.5-billion Oriental Science Fiction Valley park, is part of China’s thrust to develop new drivers of growth centered on trends such as gaming, sports and cutting-edge technology, to cut reliance on traditional industries.

    In the push to become a center of innovative tech, Guizhou is luring firms such as Apple Inc, which has sited its China data center there, while the world’s largest radio telescope is in nearby Pingtang county.


    A view of the Oriental Science Fiction Valley theme park at sunset, in Guiyang, Guizhou province, China November 16, 2017. Picture taken November 16, 2017. REUTERS/Joseph Campbell

    The park says it is the world’s first of its kind, although virtual reality-based attractions from the United States to Japan already draw interest from consumers and video gamers seeking a more immersive experience.

    The Guiyang park will offer tourists bungee jumps from a huge Transformer-like robot, and a studio devoted to producing virtual reality movies. Most rides will use VR goggles and motion simulators to thrill users.

    Slideshow (10 Images)
    “You feel like you’re really there,” said Qu Zhongjie, the park’s manager of rides. “That’s our main feature.”

    China’s virtual reality market is expected to grow tenfold to 55.6 billion yuan ($8.4 billion) by the end of the decade, state-backed think-tank CCID has said.

    Farmers in the nearby village of Zhangtianshui said they were concerned about pollution from big developments, but looked forward to the economic benefits a new theme park would bring. Most were less sure about virtual battles or alien invasions, though.

    “There are lots of good things that come out of these projects,” one farmer, Liu Guangjun, told Reuters. “As for the virtual reality, I don’t really understand it.”

    ($1=6.5849 Chinese yuan renminbi)

    Reporting by Joseph Campbell in GUIYANG; Editing by Adam Jourdan and Clarence Fernandez
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  7. #157
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    Toy Story Land - Shanghai Disney

    LOOK: Shanghai Disneyland reveals what will be inside its new Toy Story Land
    BY ALEX LINDER IN NEWS ON DEC 1, 2017 10:00 PM



    Just because 2017 sucked, that doesn't mean that 2018 has to as well. After all, just look at all the things we have to look forward to in Shanghai: a massive polar theme park, a hotel fit for a supervillain, and a new zone opening up in Shanghai Disneyland.
    The resort first announced that it was expanding to infinity and beyond last year. Now, it has revealed some details and concept art, showing what the new Toy Story Land will look like.
    Of course, if you've been to either the Hong Kong or Paris Disneyland, you aren't likely to be too blown away. Just like in those two parks, the Toy Story Land will feature a U-shaped RC Racer coaster (to be called Rex's Racer), which can be pretty fun, but short and plagued by long lines.



    Along with Slinky Dog Spin, a family-style carousel ride.



    However, there will be no Toy Soldiers Parachute Drop ride in Shanghai. The attraction will instead be replaced by "Woody's Round-Up," which promises to be some sort of spinner ride.
    "Sheriff Woody has rounded up a herd of ponies, each one pulling a cart, in a ranch set up by Andy. Guests can climb aboard the carts as the ponies start a little square dance swinging their carts to and fro in time to the lively music," reads the press release.



    Right next to Woody's Round-Up will be an Old West town facade where you can take photos with Woody, Jessie, and Bullseye. Elsewhere, there's an "Al's Toy Barn" where you can buy stuff and a "Toy Box Cafe" where you can eat.
    Toy Story Land will be the seventh themed land at the Shanghai Disneyland and the first added since its opening. It's currently under construction and is set to open next summer.
    The Toy Story ride at Anaheim is one of my favs.
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  8. #158
    I have never been but I have always wanted to. Maybe in our next trip, we could finally visit China.

  9. #159
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    Chinese Marine Parks

    I hadn't really thought about this much, but there are a lot of Chinese marine parks. I guess that was part of the inspiration for Jet Li's Ocean Heaven.

    SEPTEMBER 19, 2018 / 11:06 PM / UPDATED 9 HOURS AGO
    Tidal wave of Chinese marine parks fuels murky cetacean trade
    Farah Master
    8 MIN READ

    HONG KONG (Reuters) - Eight beluga whales jump in unison out of a bright blue indoor pool, flipping their tailfins and spewing fountains of water, as a packed audience cheers and snaps photographs.

    Whale shows like the one at Chimelong Ocean Kingdom, located in Zhuhai on China’s southern coast, are proliferating at new marine parks across the country, driving demand for threatened species, according to scientists, executives and activists.

    Orcas and beluga whales are among the marine animals caught up in a shadowy trade in which individual cetaceans - often caught illegally - sell for millions of dollars, they say.

    Marine parks and aquariums are opening monthly in China, with more than 36 large-scale projects set to launch in the coming two years. This comes as many live animal shows in the United States and Europe are being scrapped due to widespread opposition.

    “We’ve had great progress in shutting down marine parks in the West but China is saying, ‘it’s my turn now’,” said Ric O’Barry, founder of the Dolphin Project, an advocacy group.

    Lured by booming domestic tourism, companies such as Haichang Ocean Park (2255.HK), Guangzhou R&F Properties (2777.HK), Dalian Shengya and Chimelong Group are spearheading the rapid growth of the industry.

    Haichang’s Shanghai Ocean World, which is due to open in November, and Chimelong’s Ocean Kingdom are preparing live orca shows for the first time in China.

    O’Barry, who captured and trained dolphins and orcas before launching a campaign against captive marine mammals in 1970, said China was the main driver of the industry globally.

    Over 60 marine parks already operate in China, ranging from large-scale developments like Chimelong’s Ocean Kingdom, to small facilities which are typically add-ons to big property projects, said industry executives.



    Chimelong, Haichang, Dalian Shengya, Zhonghong Group and Rizhao Ocean Park did not respond to multiple requests for comment. R&F said its planned resort would only include wild captured cetaceans if they had been rescued, or came from reputable zoos and aquariums.

    Cities often initiate marine park projects as an eye-catching way of raising their profiles, and offer developers vast tracts of land and cheap loans to build them.

    Noble Coker, president of Apex Parks and Entertainment Services, which works with theme parks in Asia, said marine facilities were often a secondary consideration in an overall deal to acquire land from municipal governments.

    Developers benefit from the quick development and sale of residential or commercial property, he said, with elements like marine parks typically paid for by the property sales.

    “All of the incentives for the developers are in the short-term, so the 20-year moral and ethical impacts of the park or aquarium they are building are rarely, if ever, considered,” said Coker.

    ILLEGAL CAPTURES

    Since 2014, 872 cetaceans - which includes whales, dolphins and porpoises - have been put into captivity in China, according to the China Cetacean Association.

    There are currently no local government regulations or international standards to monitor the trade, said Lucio Conti, vice president for marine facilities at Atlantis Sanya, a resort located in China’s tropical Hainan province.

    Conti said Atlantis was working with the government to establish an animal welfare standard at a time when there was growing illegal trade of endangered wildlife.

    “If you go to the fishermen here on the island they can get you whatever you want. They can get you a whale shark, they can get you every species, endangered or not because there is no such control.”

    China’s Ministry of Culture and Tourism referred a request for comment to the State Forestry and Grassland Administration, which is in charge of wildlife issues.

    The administration referred questions to the State Oceanic Administration, which in turn referred questions to the Ministry of Natural Resources. That ministry referred questions to the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Ministry, which did not respond to a request for comment.

    Many Chinese marine parks feature whale sharks, belugas, dolphins and manta rays. But no orcas - or killer whales, known for their distinctive black and white coloring - have been displayed publicly up to now.

    At least 13 Russian orcas were imported to China between 2013 and 2016, according to CITES, the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species. Another two were sent in 2017 and more are set to be imported this year, according to Oxana Fedorova, head of Dolphin Project Russia.

    CITES did not reveal the companies involved.

    Whale and Dolphin Conservation, a UK-based group, said Chimelong Ocean Kingdom possesses nine orcas, Shanghai Haichang Polar Ocean World has four and two more are at Wuxi Changqiao Ocean Kingdom.

    Russia, which is the sole supplier of wild orcas and beluga whales to China, in July announced an investigation into the illegal sale of 7 killer whales.

    Four companies were involved in the sale of the orcas to China, according to a statement from the Russian Prosecutor General’s Office. It did not name the companies or the destination of the orcas.

    Russia approved a capture quota for 13 orcas in 2018. Several killer whales have already been caught in Russia’s Sea of Okhotsk, said activists monitoring the hunt in August.

    “The problem is the demand that is being created in China,” said Fedorova, who worked with the team, organized by Ocean Friends. She said the team of seven had been threatened, shot at and robbed by the hunters.

    The activists said they were unable to record the captures on film as their drone was shot down.

    However, a photograph from Ocean Friends showed transportation tanks on a Russian ship called Jurii Shvezov holding two orcas.

    A representative from Kupets, the company that owns the ship, said it was engaged in the transportation of orcas and did not catch them. She declined to comment further.

    DISPOSABLE MANNER

    Naomi Rose, a Washington-based marine mammal scientist at the Animal Welfare Institute, said the captures were unsustainable and inhumane.

    Haichang Ocean Park Holdings Ltd
    1.67
    2255.HKHONG KONG STOCK
    +0.01(+0.60%)
    2255.HK
    2255.HK2777.HK
    She added that the prospect of high profits would continue to attract a criminal element.

    “When you have that much money involved - where an animal is worth several million dollars- you are going to have crime and danger.”

    Once in captivity, the rate of mortality is extremely high, said activists. This forces companies to continually repurchase marine animals.

    “They just suffer in captivity. Especially for orcas, they are the most unsuitable to be put in a tank. Their culture is in the wild,” said Taison Chang, chairman of the Hong Kong Dolphin Conservation Society.

    Squalid conditions and poor welfare practices are growing concerns amid the increasing flood of marine parks.

    In June, for example, an online video showed a trainer from Ocean World in China’s port city of Dalian applying bright red lipstick on a beluga whale. The company later apologized and promised to strengthen the animal protections, according to local media.

    Activists worry that once China’s biggest players start orca performances, it will spawn a copycat effect at smaller, less experienced parks around the country.

    Peng, who was watching the beluga show at Ocean Kingdom with his wife and son, said he had not realized belugas were endangered and that he had enjoyed the show.

    “It’s not cruel for them. They feed them and didn’t beat them.”

    Reporting by Farah Master; additional reporting by Bobby Yip in Zhuhai, Ben Blanchard and Gao Liangping in Beijing, Timothy Chan, Maggie Liu and Holly Chik in Hong Kong, the Shanghai newsroom and Polina Nikolskaya in Moscow; Editing by Philip McClellan
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  10. #160
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    Wansheng Ordovician Theme Park

    Lucky Tourist Crosses Terrifying Gap Bridge in China as Safety Rope Breaks Off
    by Carl Samson 1 day ago


    A male tourist in central China narrowly escaped likely death when he reached the end of a gap bridge just as his safety harness broke off.

    The incident took place on Monday at the Wansheng Ordovician Theme Park, a thrill-seeker’s paradise 100 kilometers (62 miles) from Chongqing.

    In the video, the tourist is seen hopping on individual planks that make up the cliffside bridge 150 meters above the ground.



    To his surprise, the tourist found his safety rope detached just as he reached the last plank.



    The video quickly drew alarm on Chinese social media, with many calling to shut the theme park down.



    Following an investigation, officials from the Wansheng Economic Development Zone announced Thursday that the terrifying mishap was caused by an error on a staff member’s part.



    As a result, the attraction, known as “Extreme Leap,” was closed until further notice.


    Image via Sohu

    Interestingly, a theme park spokesperson claimed that the video was nothing but a marketing stunt by a private enterprise.


    Image via Net Ease

    Aside from “Extreme Leap,” the park is known for its high-altitude, adrenaline-pumping attractions, including a triangular glass-bottomed bridge that extends 80 meters from the base and a bunch of cliffside swings that dangle riders 300 meters above the ground.

    There are no safety nets reported in any of the attractions.


    Image via China News

    Netizens feared the dangerous attraction (via Asia One and South China Morning Post):

    “If someone had died in the video, what would they call it then?”

    “This marketing tactic only successfully demonstrates that the activity is far too dangerous.”

    “If it’s a marketing ploy, I hope it closes down soon.”

    “It’s not marketing – it’s true. The [authorities at this] scenic area just want to hide the facts. The video is so clear – the safety cord really broke off. You must not go, you’d be risking your life.”
    THREADS
    Chinese Bridges
    Chinese Theme Parks
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  11. #161
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    Wanda exits the theme park biz

    HOME FILM ASIA OCTOBER 31, 2018 8:19AM PT
    China’s Wanda Completes Exit From Film Studios and Theme Parks

    By PATRICK FRATER
    Asia Bureau Chief


    CREDIT: WU HONG/EPA-EFE/REX/SHUTTERSTOCK

    Dalian Wanda has completed its exit from the domestic Chinese theme park business by selling its parks management companies to property developer Sunac for $900 million (RMB6.28 billion). The deal includes operations managing the massive film and TV studios that Wanda constructed in Qingdao and 13 the.

    The sale of Wanda Cultural Management comes less than three years after Wanda’s chairman Wang Jianlin warned Disney that it would launch a pack of Chinese tigers to defeat Shanghai Disneyland. And it comes barely a year after Wanda sold its theme park businesses and part of its hotel portfolio as part of a massive debt-reduction program.

    Sunac last year paid RMB44 billion ($6.31 billion at current exchange rates) to buy the parks and studios. But it left operational control with Wanda Cultural Management.

    “The transaction will further clarify the operation management aspect of the cultural and tourism projects acquired by the group and further improve our management efficiency,” Sunac said in a regulatory filing to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange. Sunac now has the right to rebrand the parks and studios.

    Wanda has been forced into retreat across many of its business sectors. It was recently announced that U.S. finance firm Silverlake was to buy a substantial portion of Wanda’s stake in U.S. movie theater group AMC. It has also been reported that Wanda is negotiating to sell its stake in Legendary Entertainment, the Hollywood producer that it bought in 2016 for up to $3.5 billion.
    THREADS
    Wanda & AMC
    Chinese Theme Parks
    Gene Ching
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  12. #162
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    Poor Pooh

    Oh bother.

    Could Winnie The Pooh Be Removed From Shanghai Disneyland?
    By JOSH YOUNG | Published: NOVEMBER 24, 2018

    Believe it or not, there’s a good chance that Winnie the Pooh might be removed from Shanghai Disneyland in the near future. That’s right, no more character meet-and-greets, no more merchandise and the attractions could get re-themed. For those unfamiliar, Shanghai Disneyland has two Pooh attractions: The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh, a duplicate of the attractions found in Florida and Hong Kong, and Pooh’s Hunny Pot Spin, a one-of-a-kind teacup ride. Both attractions are found in Fantasyland at Shanghai Disneyland.



    Why would Shanghai Disneyland go to the expense to re-theme two attractions? One word answer: ego. The current president of China is a guy by the name of Xi Jinping. Over the years, the people of China have used Pooh as a way to mock their president by comparing him to the Disney-famed “chubby little cubby all stuffed with fluff.”



    This all started with a visit former US President Barack Obama made to China back in 2013. The above picture went viral in China when Obama was compared to Tigger and Jinping was referenced as Winnie the Pooh. Now, if this were the United States, those references would be all over the internet, late-night television, etc. In communist China, they have one of the strictest internet filtering policies in the world. And it seems that if you even mention Pooh on any of their social media, it immediately gets censored or erased.

    According to CNN, if you search for Winnie the Pooh on certain Chinese social media sites, you’d get a message saying the search was against Chinese law. Even on certain platforms like WeChat (China’s most popular social media app), if you send the above picture comparing Obama and Jinping to Tigger and Pooh in a group chat, it won’t show up in the group message. It will automatically be blocked.



    More recently, the release of “Christopher Robin” was banned in China after the worldwide release in 2018. While no official reason was given for the denial, The Hollywood Reporter claims it is due to the on-going “war on Winnie the Pooh” that has been going on between Jinping and the people of China. To be fair, China limits the number of films that can be released that come from foreign countries each year. Earlier in 2018, “A Wrinkle in Time” was also denied. (You’re welcome China.)



    In the latest in the “Pooh war,” Pooh has been digitally removed in all Chinese advertisements of “Kingdom Hearts 3.” Indeed, reports have confirmed that when you play the Chinese version of “Kingdom Hearts 3,” Pooh will be censored (as seen above) in the game. Characters from the Hundred Acre Wood will be interactive with a white blob that will be moving around the game as if it wasn’t there when it releases in 2019.



    Which leads us back to Shanghai Disneyland. It is very plausible that Shanghai Shendi (the company who operates Shanghai Disneyland on behalf of Disney) and the Chinese government are quietly working on ways to remove Pooh from the park. Can the Chinese government require Disney to remove all Winnie the Pooh references from Shanghai Disneyland? It seems like that answer is a yes. Might they come to a compromise and just remove character meet and greets and certain forms of signage? That is also a possibility. Regardless of the outcome, this is a story we will be watching in the coming months. Your thoughts?
    Gene Ching
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  13. #163
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    Hong Kong Disneyland

    Hong Kong Disneyland Takes Loss Despite Record Revenue
    BY ISABELLE LI MAR 8, 2019



    Hong Kong Disneyland Resort has reported a net loss for the fourth year running in 2018, albeit one that was much smaller than the previous fiscal year because it had more visitors, and they spent more.

    The resort’s loss narrowed 84% to HK$54 million ($6.88 million) for the 2018 fiscal year, which ended on Sept. 29, according to Hong Kong Disneyland Resort’s annual report, released Monday.

    The amusement park, which opened in 2005, was the second and most expensive Disney theme park to open in Asia, but it has only rarely turned a profit. In its 14-year history, it was in the black only in the fiscal years of 2012, 2013 and 2014.

    In comparison, the Shanghai Disneyland resort broke even in its first year after opening in June 2016, becoming the world’s eighth most visited theme park in 2017 with 11 million visitors. The Hong Kong resort had 6.1 million visitors that year.

    Hong Kong Disneyland highlighted its improved finances in its annual report, boasting that it took in a record HK$6 billion in revenue for the fiscal year, up 8%. Its earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization rose 48% to HK$1.4 billion.

    The company attributed the revenue growth to higher attendance and greater visitor spending. Annual visits rose 8%, with growth of international visitors — particularly from South Korea, Japan and the Philippines — hitting a record for the second straight year, the company said.

    Operating expenses however jumped 11% to HK$4.67 billion, primarily due to higher costs from new hotels and attractions.

    Last year, Hong Kong Disneyland began a multiyear expansion (link in Chinese) that cost more than HK$10 billion.

    “The launch of a new Marvel-themed attraction as part of a multiyear expansion and the addition of year-round entertainment offerings and products, along with the opening of the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge and the High Speed Rail (Hong Kong Section), will allow us to continue our positive momentum,” Hong Kong Disneyland Resort Managing Director Stephanie Young said in the report.


    Ant-man and the Wasp © Disney

    Young came on board as the new head of Hong Kong Disneyland on Feb. 1. The resort announced the change of its managing director in December, its second change in its leadership in the past three years.

    The resort employs more than 5,200 full-time staff and 2,300 part-time employees on average each year, contributing approximately HK$8.9 billion to Hong Kong economy, or around 0.34% of the region’s GDP, its annual report said.
    HK already is sort of a Disneyland...
    Gene Ching
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  14. #164
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    Universal Beijing Resort

    A two-fer today, although this one is actually from last month.

    Universal Studios theme park in Beijing named Universal Beijing Resort
    25th February 2019


    The Universal Studios theme park under construction in Beijing, has been given its official name: Universal Beijing Resort.

    The project was originally announced in 2014 with a budget of $3.26bn, which later doubled to $6.5bn to accommodate retail and entertainment space, as well as improved planned attractions.

    Now, construction of the initial phase has reached its final stage in the Eastern suburb of the Tongzhou district.

    A subway station that will serve the resort and two subway lines will be completed and operational by the final quarter of 2019, and will link the resort with Beijing Universal City Avenue.

    Throughout the year, construction will continue on projects such as the NUO Resort Hotel, the Universal Studios, Beijing Universal City Avenue, and the world’s first Universal Studios-themed hotel, with all building companies having begun the final preparations for construction.

    Two further theme parks are planned for the resort in the future.

    In the meantime, the creation of a number of other amenities that will support the development of the park is in progress by Tongzhou district government, at an investment of around 53 billion yuan ($7.6 billion).

    Among them are the interchange node of the East Sixth Ring Road, the greening of the East Sixth Ring Road’s protection forest, the Beijing-Harbin Expressway, the new interchange node of the Beijing-Harbin Expressway, a bus transit centre and the north hub of the Universal Studios.

    According to a source in the WSJ, Universal expects its Beijing park to draw 10 million visitors in its first year, an increase of 3 million from initial projections.



    Lalla Merlin
    Lalla studied English at St. Hugh’s College, Oxford University. A writer and film-maker, she lives in rural Devon with husband, children, and an assortment of badly-behaved animals, including an enormous wolf.
    Gene Ching
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  15. #165
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    2 dead

    I've ridden Chinese slides. They are truly death defying. The one we were on almost took out the RZA.

    Two killed, 12 hurt in Chinese theme park slide accident
    Six children among the injured as group of people fall off ride at Children’s Garden in Sichuan province on Labour Day

    Local government says it has detained person ‘responsible for the business’
    Linda Lew
    Published: 3:10pm, 2 May, 2019


    A woman who witnessed the accident said the slide was similar to this one shown in a video shared online. Photo: V.qq.com

    Two people were killed and 12 injured on Wednesday after falling off a slide at a theme park in southwest China.
    The accident happened at the Children’s Garden attraction in Taiping, Sichuan province, on the first day of the Labour Day holiday, the town government said in a statement on social media.
    The park had been closed and “the person responsible for the business” had been detained pending an investigation, it said.
    The statement did not give details of the people killed, except to say they were both adults. Of the 12 people hurt, six were adults and six children, it said, adding they were being treated in hospital.


    The theme park says it has 32 different slides. Photo: Children’s Garden

    A woman who was at the park with her daughter when the accident happened said she thought the ride might have been overcrowded.
    “I was on a rope bridge and saw four or five rubber lifebuoys with people on them all crowded together and sliding down,” the woman, who declined to give her name, said.
    “The people were screaming, I’m not sure whether from fright or excitement, but within seconds they all flew off the slide.”
    She said it had been raining on the day and she thought the ride, which ran down a steep hill, might have been running faster than normal.


    A witness said it had been raining on the day of the accident. Photo: V.qq.com

    In a now deleted post on WeChat, the theme park said it had 32 slides of various sizes. A video posted on V.qq.com shows a young boy riding down a slide similar to the one on which the accident happened. The guard rails appear to be about 50cm (20 inches) high.
    The park posted a notice on WeChat on Thursday saying it was closed for upgrading, but did not mention the accident.
    Wednesday’s accident is not the first at Children’s Garden. Just two days after it opened in July 2017, three people were injured when a rope walkway they were on collapsed, Chengdu Economic Daily reported at the time.
    News of the latest accident drew angry reactions on Weibo, with people questioning what had been done to improve safety at the park.
    “I’m a local and have never gone there,” a person wrote. “How connected is its boss? No one is regulating this?”
    Gene Ching
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