거대 테마 파크의 개장
동양의 디즈니 랜드 거대 테마 파크가 월요일 개장
중국 홍콩에서 준비 중이다. 홍콩의 중심부로부터 지하철로 30분 거리에
두개의 관광 호텔에 미키마우스의 군중 속으로 거대한 돌진을 준비 중이며
초창기 캘리포니아 디즈니랜드와 비슷하며 디즈니가 예견한대로 아시아
최고의 건축물이라한다. 미화35억불이 투자된 아시아 최고의가족 휴양지가
지구적 투자가치까지 높일 것이라고 홍콩 정부가 말하고 있다.
China prepares for Disneyland
Hong Kong ready for Monday opening of giant theme park
| A visitor at Hong Kong Disneyland on Sunday, a day before its official opening. The park is Disney's first-ever vacation resort in China. | |
| Image: | |
HONG KONG, China (AP) -- Hong Kong Disneyland prepared to throw open its gates to the public on Monday, marking Mickey Mouse's biggest thrust into China, which the U.S. company hopes will flood the theme park with splurging tourists from the world's most populous nation.
The attraction and its two resort hotels are surrounded by mountains on lush Lantau Island, just 30 minutes away by subway from bustling central Hong Kong. It looks much like the first Disneyland in California, with a Space Mountain thrill ride, a classic Cinderella Carousel and a pink Sleeping Beauty Castle -- which Disney predicts will be one of the most photographed buildings in Asia.
Hong Kong's government -- the biggest investor in the US$3.5 billion park -- says the attraction will help turn this global financial capital into Asia's best family holiday spot.
Disney hopes the park -- the 11th in its global empire -- will be a magnet for increasingly wealthy Chinese tourists, who have a reputation for being big-spenders.
"This is a first big step," Walt Disney Co. President Robert Iger said about the park's role in expanding the company's reach into China, where generations have grown up with little or no familiarity with Mickey Mouse.
Iger said the park would create a media buzz and word-of-mouth excitement that would ignite interest in Disney films, TV shows and other products. He said that state-owned China Central Television was doing a special about the park.
"It's going to be seen by, I'm told, as many as a billion people, which is tremendous," Iger told The Associated Press.
Michael Eisner, Disney's chief executive officer, said China and Disneyland will be a perfect match because they both value families.
"You go to the park and you see mothers, daughters and kids and grandparents. The family unit in China is unbelievably strong. It's not just Hong Kong, it's mainland China," Eisner said.
Hong Kong and Disney struck a deal to build the park in 1999 -- just two years after the former British colony returned to Chinese rule. The city had been battered by the Asian financial crisis, and desperately needed a new project to boost its spirits and troubled economy.
Disneyland says it employs 5,000 people and will draw 5.6 million visitors in its first year.
The public has generally embraced the park, which began construction in 2003. But environmentalists protested the park's now-aborted plan to serve shark-fin soup at banquets. Neighbors have complained about the noise and smoke from nightly fireworks shows. And social critics have been worried about the influence of American culture.
But the biggest complaint among some of the thousands who got a sneak peak at the park during a soft opening period in the past month has been that Hong Kong Disneyland is too small. It's Disney's smallest park at 40 hectares (about 100 acres).
The entire attraction -- including the two hotels -- is 121 hectares (298 acres) -- and there's room to expand to 200 hectares (494 acres).
When asked what he didn't like about the park, Chinese tourist Zhang Wei said, "It's way too small."
But Zhang predicted it would be a big hit with the mainland Chinese.
"Disney has a big name and it will definitely attract people and be a success," said the 38-year-old businessman from Beijing as he finished watching the daily parade of floats carrying a waving Little Mermaid, Alice in Wonderland and Buzz Lightyear.
Hong Kongers have a reputation for being brusque and unsmiling, but the Disneyland staff -- including cleaners and guards -- have been trying to master the Disney tradition of giving guests a warm smile and friendly "Hello!" or "Nei hou!" in Cantonese or "Ni Hao!" in the mainland's Mandarin.