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Out of curiosity, who here has been to an amusement park in China?
L.A. company to help build martial arts theme park in China
Ikonic Entertainment Group is teaming up with a Chinese investment group to build the $3.1-billion theme park and resort south of the manufacturing city of Shiyan in the Wudang Mountains in central China.
By Hugo Martín, Los Angeles Times
December 7, 2011
A Los Angeles company is teaming up with a Chinese investment group to build a $3.1-billion martial arts-themed park and leisure resort in central China.
Los Angeles Major Antonio Villaraigosa, who attended a signing ceremony in Beijing as part of a 12-day mission to Asia, said the project could create hundreds of jobs in Los Angeles and may mean millions of dollars in revenue for the theme park designer, Ikonic Entertainment Group.
The project would be built south of the manufacturing city of Shiyan in the Wudang Mountains, known as the birthplace of the Chinese martial arts form known as kung fu.
The announcement of an agreement between Ikonic and the Shiyan-based Taichi Lake Group is only the first step in the development of what the two companies are calling the largest theme park and resort in China.
Ikonic was founded last year by Tony Christopher, chief executive of Burbank-based Landmark Entertainment Group, and Jack Chen, CEO of Transworld Capital Group, a Los Angeles investment firm specializing in business developments in China.
“The cooperation agreement signed today represents the future: We are combining our strengths, investing in one another, and fostering greater tourism and business between the U.S. and China,” Villaraigosa said in a statement.
Under the plan, Ikonic will provide master planning, concept creation and construction oversight for the theme park, a live show and other elements of the project. No one could be reached Tuesday at the offices of Ikonic, Landmark Entertainment or Transworld Capital Group.
Founded by Christopher and attraction designer Gary Goddard in the 1980s, Landmark helped design several popular theme park attractions, including Jurassic Park: the Ride at Universal Studios Hollywood, Terminator 2: 3-D at Universal Studios Florida and the Amazing Adventures of Spider-Man at Universal’s Islands of Adventure in Orlando, Fla.
Home of martial arts to set up theme park
(Global Times)
09:18, December 07, 2011
A Los Angeles-based entertainment group and a domestic investment firm on Tuesday agreed to jointly establish a martial arts scenic spot in Hubei Province.
The venue, which will include a martial arts theme park and a $50 million live show, will be planned and designed by Ikonic Entertainment Group and Hubei Wudang Taichi Lake Investment Group at Wudang Mountain, a region known as the center of Chinese martial arts, according to The Wall Street Journal.
According to Tony Christopher, founder of Ikonic Entertainment Group, the park will occupy an area of more than 330,000 square meters and cost at least $100 million to build.
Water shows will be held beside the park, while stuntmen and directors from Hollywood will also be invited to participate in performances to give the venue a more international flavor, the Xinhua News Agency reported.
He added that the details of the venue’s design are still under discussion.
A staff member with the company surnamed Zhou confirmed to the Global Times on Tuesday that the venue would be built in Wudang Mountain.
“Immediately after the agreement was reached, both companies started construction work on the venue, which will be completed in two years,” a staff member with the publicity department of Wudang Mountain Tourism and Economic Zone surnamed Feng, told the Global Times on Tuesday.
“The venue will help promote martial arts culture from China to the rest of the world,” added Feng, “and the scenic spot will include both traditional martial arts and modern concepts after the cooperation with Hollywood, and therefore more people will be attracted.”
In addition to the Wudang Mountain project, Ikonic and Taichi Lake will develop an oceanfront amusement park in Qingzhou, Shandong Province and an Ikonic-produced video game featuring martial arts legends.
The companies will also develop a traveling martial arts show, featuring Taoist and martial arts culture that is expected to tour college campuses in the United States, The Wall Street Journal reported.
