Universal Beijing Resort opened its doors to the public on Monday and thousands attended despite gloomy weather and coronavirus safety restrictions hampering festivities.
The entertainment hub, which was first proposed 20 years ago, is the first Universal Studios-branded theme park to open in China, the third in Asia and the fifth in the world.
It is also the brand's largest, not to mention a first for Beijing, which lacks a big branded theme park to rival the Disney resorts in Shanghai and Hong Kong.
Take a look through the photo gallery above to see more from the park's opening day.
There are seven themed lands, including Kung Fu Panda Land of Awesomeness, the first of its kind for a Universal park, home to rides such as the Kung Fu Panda Journey of the Dragon Warrior and Po’s Kung Fu Training Camp.
There's also The Wizarding World of Harry Potter, Transformers Metrobase, Minion Land and Jurassic World Isla Nublar. Rounding off the seven are Hollywood and WaterWorld.
In total, there are 37 rides, including all of the popular Harry Potter rides and the white-knuckle Decepticoaster.
Visitors will also find several merchandise stores and dozens of restaurants, including The Cowfish Sushi Burger Bar, which serves up a unique combination of burgers and sushi, as well as Mr Ping’s Noodle House and Neon Street Hawkers, serving a range of South-East Asian food. Select venues are also able to accommodate a halal diet on request, according to the website's FAQ section.
All 10,000 tickets for the opening available in a presale on September 14 sold out in three minutes, according to Trip.com Group.
However, many complained on social media about the ticket costs, which range from 418 yuan ($64.76) in the low season to 748 yuan ($116) during peak periods.
– Additional reporting from Reuters
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The more serious side of specialty coffee
While the taste of beans and freshness of roast is paramount to the specialty coffee scene, so is sustainability and workers’ rights.
The bulk of genuine specialty coffee companies aim to improve on these elements in every stage of production via direct relationships with farmers. For instance, Mokha 1450 on Al Wasl Road strives to work predominantly with women-owned and -operated coffee organisations, including female farmers in the Sabree mountains of Yemen.
Because, as the boutique’s owner, Garfield Kerr, points out: “women represent over 90 per cent of the coffee value chain, but are woefully underrepresented in less than 10 per cent of ownership and management throughout the global coffee industry.”
One of the UAE’s largest suppliers of green (meaning not-yet-roasted) beans, Raw Coffee, is a founding member of the Partnership of Gender Equity, which aims to empower female coffee farmers and harvesters.
Also, globally, many companies have found the perfect way to recycle old coffee grounds: they create the perfect fertile soil in which to grow mushrooms.
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