Universal Beijing theme park to add 40,000 jobs

Builders work at the construction site of a Universal Studios theme park in the district of Tongzhou in Beijing, capital of China, Oct 30, 2016.[Photo/Xinhua]

In the first phase, 8,000 and 10,000 people will be hired to fill vacancies in maintenance and services departments, said Duan Qiang, chairman of Beijing Tourism Group, which is one of the shareholders of Beijing Shouhuan.

The Beijing park, located in eastern Tongzhou district, will exceed its Orlando peer in scale and content richness, and will be the largest-ever Universal theme park, according to Duan.

The first phase will cover an area of 1.59 square kilometers, upon which two hotels of 1,200 to 1,400 rooms will be built, said Duan. Apart from that, a Universal CityWalk entertainment zone will also be constructed.

One hotel will be Universal-branded while the other will carry the NUO brand, according to Wang Xin, general manager of Beijing Hotel Nuo Company Limited.

Duan added that the whole project, including phase one and two and even phase three extension, will cover a total area of four square kilometers and need a total investment of 100 billion yuan ($14.46 billion).

Builders work at the construction site of a Universal Studios theme park in the district of Tongzhou in Beijing, capital of China, Oct 30, 2016.[Photo/Xinhua]

Initially, most of the performances will be mainly foreign but more Chinese elements, such as fireworks and parades, will be included in phase two and three.

Duan said the Chinese and American partners are carrying out research on what content to incorporate, and how to bring all content together as currently there are not enough popular film images based on Chinese stories.

He added that upgrading in the cultural and creative industry will be a key factor in deciding whether Chinese elements could be incorporated in the theme park.

Equipment will be sourced from all over the world, especially from Europe, according to Duan. Chinese suppliers will also be invited and favored provided they are able to provide world-class quality products.

The Universal theme park project, which was approved in September 2014 by China's State Council and the National Development and Reform Commission, is scheduled to open in 2020 and is expected to welcome 120 million tourists each year.