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Beijing’s first foreign theme park attracts huge interest

Most of the visitors to the new Universal Beijing Resort will arrive from outside the Chinese metropolis, it has been revealed.

Ten thousand tickets that were set aside for the launch day were snapped up within three minutes as Beijing’s first foreign theme park opened earlier this week. 

Forty per cent of the initial ticket purchases were made by residents of Beijing, according to Reuters.

As the fifth resort worldwide to carry the Universal name, the Beijing theme park was first proposed 20 years ago. 

The Global Times, a newspaper published by the ruling Communist Party, stated: “The much-anticipated Universal Beijing Resort officially opened for business on Monday after 19 days of trial operation. 

“Excited tourists coming from all over the country to the theme park despite rainy weather in the capital city and strict epidemic prevention measures due to recent COVID-19 flare-ups in East China, however the enthusiasm and joy within the resort remained undiminished.” 

Tickets will cost 418 yuan (£47/$64/€55) during the low season and 478 yuan during peak periods. 

The Chinese Ambassador to Washington, Qin Gang, said that the opening of the park “reminded” him “of the shape of China-US relations”. 

He wrote on Twitter: “I shared my rollercoaster ride at Universal Studios Beijing with @USChinaBusiness friends, which reminded me of the shape of China-US relations. After all the tumbling and shakes, the rollercoaster came to a soft landing in the end.”

China Daily added that the new Universal park is 30% owned by Comcast Corp’s Universal Parks & Resorts, with the other 70% controlled by Beijing Cultural Tourism Investment. 

Universal Studios is also expected to attract 12 million visitors to the Chinese capital every year. 

Image: Guneet Jassal on Unsplash