The momentum in Kunming comes from the local government’s drive to raise the city’s profile. “Local governments use the idea of a branded theme park as a way of galvanizing and branding these projects, adding a name to give it more glamor and credibility to raise the finance,” he assessed. The new park itself will consist of six themed areas. Paramount Boulevard will feature theme hotels, retail and dining options and a water-themed show, according to the Yunnan Daily newspaper. Adventure City and Wonderland will boast thrill rides, including ones branded with the “Mission Impossible” and “Italian Job” IPs. There will be a “Peanuts” area featuring entertainment options related to Charles Schultz’s iconic cartoon, a dinosaur region with thrill rides and design features inspired by James Gurney’s “Dinotopia,” and a Final Frontier “Star Trek”-themed section. Location-wise, Paramount could certainly do worse than sunny Kunming. The high-altitude capital has long been a year-round destination for local tourism thanks to its continuous mild weather, ethnic and biodiversity, and growing importance as a transportation hub connecting China to Southeast Asia, bordered as the province is by Vietnam, Laos and Myanmar. The announcement, however, of a multi-billion dollar Hollywood park complex feels rather anachronistic amidst the current low point in U.S.-China relations and resultant changes in local views on foreign companies and culture, Gerner notes. “China under its current leadership has really decisively moved inward to emphasize its own ability to develop all kinds of projects - and have obviously made an exception for Disney and Universal because of the glamor of those brands and what those companies represent. But the trend has been for China to promote itself,” he said.
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