Changchun opens silver screen
By He Na (China Daily)
Updated: 2005-05-30 09:14

A movie world to rival Hollywood's Universal Studios opened to the public yesterday in Changchun, capital of Northeast China's Jilin Province.

Boasting the only world-class movie complex of its kind in China, it combines movie entertainment and tourism and drew more than 4,000 visitors for the opening. Covering an area of 300,000 square metres, the project was launched by the Changchun Film Group at a cost of 1.5 billion yuan (US$180.7 million) for the first phase of the project alone. This has now been finished and is open to tourists.

The centre resembles the Hollywood film studio and a Disneyland with its three-dimensional demonstrations of tornadoes and floods. Asia's largest 19-metre-high, 25-metre-wide 3D giant screen also gives visitors a chance to get a real close-up view of the work of movie making and movie tricks.

Thirteen entertainment program-mes are screened.

"When I came into the movie world I thought I was in a fairy tale world. I was so excited to play all the newfangled games, like the special lab, castle in the jungle, Maya Channel and the space station," said one tourist.

Building started in July 2002. The Changchun Film Group was founded two years previously, which is based on the former Changchun Film Studio, which is both honoured as the cradle of China's film industry and one of China's three film-making bases.

The movie world was opened to tourists on a trial basis last September and October, but many thought the 128 yuan (US$15) entry was too high.

The Changchun government's website reckons the centre could draw in at least 1.5 million people a year, from home and abroad, making US$27.1 million.

"The construction of Changchun Film Studio Movie World plays an important role in the reform of the Changchun Film Studio, which was founded in 1945, and also in boosting Jilin's tourism. I have every confidence in the success of the movie world," said Zhao Guoguang, the board chairman of the Changchun Film Studio Group.

The movie world, located in the Jingyuetan economic and tourism development zone, is 40 minutes' drive from downtown Changchun. It neighbours Asia's largest forest park.

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