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Web-only Exclusives
November 30, 2000

From Our Correspondent: Hirohito and the War
A conversation with biographer Herbert Bix

From Our Correspondent: A Rough Road Ahead
Bad news for the Philippines - and some others

From Our Correspondent: Making Enemies
Indonesia needs friends. So why is it picking fights?

Asiaweek Time Asia Now Asiaweek story

NOVEMBER 12, 1999 VOL. 25 NO. 45

Themes For A Dream
Despite the high failure rates of amusement parks, there's no shortage of purveyors of organized fun
also:
Asia's theme parks: a look around the region

Fulfilling fantasies or dreaming impossible dreams? Countries (or cities) the world over look to theme parks to work wonders, and few more enthusiastically than in Asia. The idea is that these entertainment centers would part a growing middle-class from its spare cash, lure long queues of foreign visitors and create lots of new jobs. But the make-believe quality of such parks often seems to muddle the minds of governments and entrepreneurs alike. Despite the heavy capital investment - thrilling rides, "authentic" entertainment and suitable sites don't come cheap - many a venture is made with wildly optimistic assumptions about the market.

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China is replete with chastening lessons for amusement-park operators. Splendid China, the mainland's pioneering complex in Shenzhen was a hit, especially with overseas Chinese, even if detractors found its replica ethnic dwellings with token tribesman more like "human zoos." Dazzled by the returns, developers piled into the industry over the past decade. More often than not, the imitations were badly thought out, poorly equipped and similarly maintained. Experts reckon that of the 2,000 odd ventures that sprang up over the past five years - "swarming like bees," complains Yang Chaofei, conservation chief in China's environmental protection administration - more than 80% are deeply in the red. Few have flopped more spectacularly than American Dream. The $50 million homage to Americana that opened with much fanfare outside Shanghai just a few years ago now attracts as few as 12 patrons a day.

Even when they are well-designed, amusement parks are risky businesses. For one thing, they are among the first treats that families do without when the going gets tough. In Japan, about 10 such ventures go bust each year. Its prolonged domestic recession and the Crisis reduced attendance by 3% to 20% at major theme parks. Tokyo Disneyland (TDL), the most profitable Disney park in the world, has been largely unaffected. But ticket sales this year have dipped compared to 1998. The venture got a head start in the 1970s when operator Oriental Land reclaimed the sea off Urayasu for the prefectural government in return for an 83-hectare chunk at a bargain price. That gave Oriental the base with which to negotiate a licensing agreement with Disney - and a hefty windfall when it sold part of the reclaimed land to eager hotel developers when TDL opened in 1983. Last year, the Magic Kingdom, as it is formally known, attracted 17.5 million visitors and earned $142 million in profits.

TDL's position as Asia's most popular fun palace has its challengers. Hong Kong's Disneyland aside, the leading contender is Everland, an enormous theme park that forms part of the Samsung empire. Located at Yongin, a 45-minute drive from Seoul, and spread over 1,500 hectares, Everland is one of the world's 10 largest theme parks. Its three main areas offer a range of micro-environments. Festival World is mainly for landlubbers. Visitors go on bus safaris through lion country, race down snow-covered slopes or shoot the rapids in "Amazonian" jungles. Caribbean Bay lays claim to being the biggest water amusement park on earth. Wave machines ensure that the surf's always up at its artificial beach. A hidden cove, with shipwreck, sets the scene for pretend piracy on the high seas. Speed junkies, however, head for Everland Speedway, which has the best motor-racing track in South Korea and off-road circuits for motorbikes. Everland attracted 7.3 million people last year and booked $4 million in profits.

What about other variations on such themes? Here's a look around the region.  

South Korea: The $500 million Lotte World, encompassing a department store, hotel and sports center, consists of two sections - an enormous indoor Adventure Park and the open-air Magic Island. Located in a Seoul suburb, it drew 6 million visitors in 1998, 10% of whom were foreigners. The Crisis hasn't hurt business "in any way," a spokesman says. Among its most gut-wrenching rides is the Gyro-Drop, in which thrill-seekers are strapped into chairs that plummet some 70 meters in seconds.

China: The Song Dynasty Village in Hangzhou, faithfully copied from a well-known painting of the period, is one of the most successful mainland ventures. With its attention to detail, the 10-hectare complex is viewed as good value edutainment. The village features historical spectacles, mock battles and traditional Zhejiang music and dance, and attracts 1.5 million people annually. The thriving business has encouraged operator Wonderland to launch another theme park in Hangzhou this year: Holland Village. "The Dutch struggle against water will appeal to the Chinese who have constantly battled the forces of nature," says owner Huang Qiaoling. There's less emphasis on authenticity, though. Tacked on to his Amsterdam environment are parachute rides and "African" tribal dances. High failure rates clearly haven't deterred other investors in China. A Buddhism culture complex opened in Hainan last year, with plans for six more on the island. Beijing, which already has four amusement complexes, added an ocean park to its attractions this year. Another marine center is under construction near the capital's Chinese Ethnic Culture Park.

Japan: Among Japan's plentiful choices for organized fun, Sanrio Puroland in Tama City stands out. Designed around its popular Hello Kitty characters, Puroland reinforces toymaker Sanrio's customer base. Other major parks, however, appeal to the Japanese fascination with things Western. Huis Ten Bosch replicates a Dutch town, with period buildings and canals running through woodlands; Parque Espana offers elaborate parades and floor shows between white-knuckle rides on a superfast suspended roller-coaster; and Tobu World Square in Tochigi showcases miniatures of historical sites - at exactly 25th actual size.

Taiwan: The island boasts a number of medium-sized attractions, including the award-winning Formosan Aboriginal Culture Village at Nantou, three-and-a-half hours' drive south of Taipei. The 100-hectare Leofoo Village in Hsinchu county is Taiwan's largest theme park. Like so many others, the $189 million village presents shrink-wrapped versions of different continents. Gunfights are relived in Tombstone Town, fish swim in a South Sea zone and animals roam the ubiquitous game park. But Leofoo will soon be dwarfed by the 200-hectare Yueh Mei development in Taichung. Its water park opens for business in July, and the remaining attractions in 2001. Promised Land, which kicks off the same year, sets itself up as the great Taiwan escape: Think Lord of the Rings meets Gaudi. Twelve years in the planning, the dream world being built by kitchenware maker C.C. Liang is part of a trend to link theme parks with resort development.

Singapore: The resort island of Sentosa groups such theme parks as the $36 million Asian Village, which showcases regional cultures, and the Underwater World aquariums. On Singapore proper, the Night Safari gives nature lovers a glimpse of nocturnal animals from jungle paths or from the safety of a tram. But tourism officials are taking a different tack on themed attractions these days. They reckon there will be a bigger boost from revitalizing distinctive ethnic districts such as Little India and Chinatown. "It's the real thing that tourists want," says veteran tour guide Geraldine Lowe-Ismail. Hence a drive to bring back street-life, night markets and hawkers. And if Hong Kong's Disneyland threatens its own white dolphins, Singapore may just offer a refuge. Underwater World will soon feature a lagoon with pink Indo-Pacific cetaceans.

Reports by John Larkin/Seoul, Fons Tunistra/Shanghai, Jacintha Stephens/Singapore, Bradley Winterton/Taipei and Murakami Mutsuko/Tokyo

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