Universal Studios opens Beijing park under virus barriers

BEIJING – Harry Potter fans came in disguise as wizards as Universal Studios opened its first theme park in China on Monday under virus control,

The Hollywood studio’s “Jurassic Park”, “Kung Fu Panda” and “Harry Potter” film franchises, as well as the “Despicable Me” Minions feature prominently at Universal Studios Beijing in the eastern suburbs of the Chinese capital.

The opening took place despite coronavirus epidemics in southeast China that have prompted the government to tighten travel controls in some areas.

“We have been waiting for the opening for a long time,” said visitor Niu Haoxuan.

Visitors had to wear masks and display a smartphone health code that indicates whether they have traveled to areas considered to be at high risk of infection.

After a report of a possible case in Beijing last week, “we were very concerned,” Zoe Shi said. “We wondered if we should still go. That turned out to be wrong in the end. We feel lucky.

Universal Studios Beijing is the first foreign-branded amusement park in the Chinese capital. It is the fifth worldwide for Universal Studios and the third in Asia, after Japan and Singapore. Universal Studios is part of NBCUniversal, a unit of Comcast Corp.

The park has received strong support from the Beijing city government despite tensions between the ruling Communist Party and Washington. The city extended a metro line and added a named station for the park.