Beijing Shijingshan Amusement Park is a theme park located in the Shijingshan District of Beijing, China. The park, first opened on September 28, 1986, is currently owned and operated by the Shijingshan District government. The park is accessible via the Line 1 of the Beijing Subway. It has its own stop called Bajiao Amusement Park (八角游乐园).

Attractions

• Crazy Mouse (before 2006)
• Feng Shen Coaster (2003)
• Mine Coaster (before 2006) (copy from Disney's Big Thunder Mountain Railroad)
• Roller Coaster (1986)
• Shenzhou Coaster (2005) (Inverted roller coaster similar to a Suspended Looping Coaster)
• Space Trip (before 2006) (copy from Disney's Space Mountain)
• Spinning Coaster (before 2006)
• Worm Coaster (before 2006)

Intellectual Property Infringement Controversy

In May 2007, the park was exposed by international media for having made unauthorized use of Japanese and American cartoon characters. According to a report originally broadcast on Fuji TV's FNN News, the park features a castle that resembles Disney's trademark Sleeping Beauty Castle and a structure that looks like Epcot's Spaceship Earth. The park also features a host of costumed characters that look amazingly similar to not only Disney's trademark characters, but also Shrek, Hello Kitty, Doraemon, Bugs Bunny and a number of other trademarked characters.

Park officials denied any wrongdoing. When asked by the FNN News reporter if the characters are related to Disney, the theme park's general manager Liu Jingwang said that their characters are based on Grimm's Fairy Tales. In another question, Liu insisted the Mickey Mouse-like character wasn't actually a mouse, but a "big-eared cat."

Their previous slogan in English was "Disneyland is too far away. Please come Beijing shijingshan Amusement Park"; a better translation of the Chinese slogan would be "Disney is too far, so please come to Shijingshan." Shortly after the controversy, the reference to Disney was removed from the park's website.

According to a May 10, 2007 Associated Press report, the park deputy general manager Yin Zhiqiang said that the park's lawyers are in negotiation with The Walt Disney Company. Disney declined to comment directly on this matter.

References