Experience of Pearl Paradise

201165438+February 5, weather, cloudy. Xiangshan netizen "Bao Ge" went to Pearl Paradise for the last "nostalgic trip". Looking at a pile of truncated steel bars and iron blocks on the ground, he was filled with emotion. For Bao Ge, not only entertainment items such as Ferris wheel and high-speed pulley were demolished, but also a section of memento mori. Pearl Paradise bears the memories of two generations in Zhuhai.

For many Zhuhai people, the Pearl Paradise for 25 years represents childhood, witnessed love and accompanied the growth of the SAR. Does the decline of Pearl Paradise indicate that theme parks cannot escape the fate of "aging before they get old"? As a livable tourist city, should Zhuhai's tourism industry go left or right in the future?

A paradise full of love and memories.

"Bao Ge" almost witnessed the whole process of the rise and fall of Pearl Paradise. 1988, in the third year of Pearl Paradise's opening, Brother Bao came to Zhuhai from Shenyang, and the first stop was Pearl Paradise. He said that he was 19 years old, and he had "never seen such a well-equipped and advanced playground" in the north.

Pearl Paradise is located in Tangjiawan, covering an area of over 400,000 square meters. Invested by Japan Golf Promotion Co., Ltd., more than 30 large-scale amusement projects were introduced from abroad. 1985 opened for business. Since then, famous literary and art groups from various provinces and cities in China and internationally renowned Russian Circus, American Circus in the West, Japanese Circus in Muxia and Brazilian Samba Dance have been introduced to perform in the park, which is known as the "Top Ten Attractions" in Zhuhai.

Brother Bao remembers that when he first went to Pearl Paradise, it was organized by the company. It was really a sea of people at that time. Every project has to wait in line for ten or twenty minutes, and roller coasters are his favorite. "I played back and forth five or six times, which was so exciting!" Since then, he has been here many times, including 200 1 taking his current wife to "fall in love" and later bringing his teenage son to play. The most direct feeling is that "there are fewer people at one time".

Brother Bao recently went to Pearl Paradise for a "nostalgic trip". Heaven is empty. A staff member curiously poked his head out of the office door after hearing the footsteps of "Bao Ge". When entering the park, "Brother Bao" recalled while painting: It was the "site" of high-speed pulleys, and those iron blocks were once part of the Ferris wheel.

Luo Yu 1988 was recruited to work in Pearl Paradise. At that time, he was just an equipment operator. After 23 years of hard work, he is now the head of the equipment operation department. However, he admits that he has been "busy" recently, and the amusement equipment has been dismantled.

Hold a high-level opening ceremony

The scenery of Pearl Paradise began before it was born.

It has something to do with Deng Xiaoping. When Deng Xiaoping visited Japan on 1978, he conveyed the message that China was about to reform and open up. At that time, golf was popular in Japan, and some Japanese businessmen were worried that there was no golf in China, so at a party with Japanese entrepreneurs, someone asked: When will there be a golf course in China? Comrade Xiaoping replied: There will be one soon. "This signal sent by Deng Xiaoping was accurately captured by Mr. Daxiyi, which prompted the Japanese to invest in the golf course in Zhuhai to set up Zhuhai International Golf Amusement Company." International Golf Club, Pearl Paradise and Golf Villa are three enterprises or business entities under Zhuhai International Golf Amusement Company, which belong to the first Sino-Japanese cooperation project introduced by Zhuhai Special Economic Zone.

Hua witnessed its birth. On May 4th, 1985, Zhuhai International Golf and Recreation Company was grandly opened, releasing thousands of homing pigeons, which caused a sensation. According to historical records, Hua, Vice Chairman of the National People's Congress Standing Committee (NPCSC), also attended the opening ceremony. After the completion of Pearl Paradise, it has become a "must-visit place" for local citizens and foreign tourists.

Pearl Paradise is mired in economic quagmire.

The Pearl Paradise, which once enjoyed infinite scenery, began to decline in recent years. According to public information, the park lost hundreds of thousands of yuan in 20 10, and this year, the total loss from 1 to 10 reached 7 million yuan. According to the current business trend forecast of Pearl Paradise, the loss of the whole project will exceed 10 million yuan next year! According to the analysis of insiders, the losses are mainly concentrated in the maintenance of equipment, the salary of managers, taxes and other necessary items for enterprise operation.

Why did the once brilliant amusement project end up like this? According to Mr. Zhao (a pseudonym), a tourist in Zhuhai, the decline of Pearl Paradise is mainly due to the fierce competition in establishing similar amusement parks in the Pearl River Delta region. Secondly, the update speed of existing amusement facilities is too slow to attract tourists. Sun Jiuxia, deputy director and professor of the Department of Tourism Planning and Management, School of Tourism, Sun Yat-sen University, analyzed: "Insufficient investment in the later period is the fatal problem of Pearl Paradise."

It is understood that the operating investment after the completion of Pearl Paradise depends on the company's own funds. In 2004, the assets of Japanese investors in Japan went into bankruptcy and reorganization due to operational difficulties, and it was even more difficult to increase the capital of Pearl Paradise. However, the operation of Pearl Paradise itself has not been particularly optimistic. "After 26 years of operation, the profit is 654.38 billion yuan, with an average annual profit of 2 million to 3 million yuan, and the peak profit is only 654.38 billion yuan/year." Du Nan reporter learned in the interview that with the demolition of the main facilities of Pearl Paradise, the number of tourists dropped sharply, and the operating conditions of making ends meet made the paradise enter a vicious circle.

According to the previous contract, the term of Sino-Japanese cooperation was 50 years. By May of 20 10, the cooperation time between the two parties will be half completed, and now it has entered the second half. However, the start of the second half was not satisfactory. With the dismantling of the Ferris wheel in Pearl Paradise, many citizens are worried about the future of Pearl Paradise. Will there be new amusement equipment to continue the "Tong Meng" of two generations of citizens, or will all the equipment be dismantled and turned into other projects? However, this issue remains the focus of discussion between China and Japan.

Theme parks cannot escape the "short-lived" curse?

Pearl Paradise, once known as the "Ten Scenes of Zhuhai", is gradually declining. At the same time, Yuanming New Garden and Dream Water City, which were built in 1997 and 1999 respectively, can still maintain/kloc-0 million tourists for three years, but the person in charge admits: "It is getting more and more difficult to operate." In addition, large-scale theme parks of the same age as Pearl Paradise, such as Oriental Paradise in Guangzhou and Yangtze River Paradise in Zhongshan, have also been closed.

Theme parks can't escape the "short-lived" curse. In this regard, Yang Zhenghu, chairman of Guangdong Center for Contemporary Economic Research, thinks it is "normal" because "the golden age of amusement parks has passed and will never return". He said that the decline of Pearl Paradise was the result of internal and external attack. Apart from the impact of Guangzhou Changlong Happy World, a rising star in the Pearl River Delta region, and shenzhen happy valley and OCT in the east, the real reason is that the industry has to go downhill because of the change of citizens' consumption preferences and the increase of optional entertainment items.

Wang Qun has been engaged in tourism management in Zhuhai for more than ten years. He believes that how long a scenic spot can survive is closely related to product positioning, business model, geographical location, economic background, marketing strategy and brand building. "Compared with other natural and cultural landscapes, theme parks have the shortcomings of congenital deficiency, because they are fictional and need to tell stories, while the stories of Qing culture told by Yuanming New Garden need cultural precipitation and accumulation, and need constant project renewal and re-investment." Wang Qun analyzed that the success of Window of the World lies in "continuous innovation and continuous investment", constantly increasing projects and injecting fresh blood into the whole theme.

This view coincides with Sun Jiuxia, deputy director and professor of the Department of Tourism Planning and Management, School of Tourism, Sun Yat-sen University. She believes that the biggest success of OCT lies in the control of investment, not a one-time investment, but a step-by-step investment. From the early window of the world, folk culture village to Happy Valley, it has been operating in a benign way. From the initial theme of the game, it gradually warmed up the surrounding real estate, quickly entered the real estate industry, and achieved rich returns in a short time, with huge funds to support the sustainable development of the whole project.

The tourism prospect of Zhuhai can be expected.

In the early years, Zhuhai was positioned as "the city of hundreds of islands" and "the city of romance", and later it was changed to "the sea and the sky are the same, and Zhuhai is the best in the world", and there were references to "the city of happiness" one after another. The positioning of Zhuhai has changed a lot. Some insiders believe that the unclear positioning of the city has affected the development of tourism. "The positioning of Zhuhai's tourism city image, the creation of tourism core products, the intensity of external publicity, and the complementarity and leverage between Zhuhai Tourism Bureau and Macao have affected the development of tourism." Wang Qun, deputy general manager of Yuanming Xinyuan Tourism Co., Ltd. and Zhuhai Dream Watertown Co., Ltd. in Zhuhai Special Economic Zone, said: "Fuzzy positioning will affect the shaping of urban temperament."

In this regard, Mr. Zhao, an official in the tourism industry, retorted: "The development of a city cannot be planned with one orientation, and there should be different orientations in different periods." He believes that the government should strive to create a good environment.

But for Zhuhai's tourism prospects, Wang Qun and Mr. Zhao are equally optimistic. Wang Qun thinks that "there is much to be done"! He analyzed that although Zhuhai is relatively small, it has an important port leading to Australia. Unofficial data show that Zhuhai is adjacent to Hong Kong and Macao, and the number of people entering and leaving from Zhuhai to Hong Kong and Macao every year is above 1 100 million, while Zhuhai actually receives 30 million tourists. This huge tourist data contains huge consumption potential. At the same time, with the construction of transportation facilities such as the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge, more and more people are pouring into Zhuhai, which will inject new business opportunities and vitality into Zhuhai's tourism industry.

In addition, there are many star-rated hotels with less than 2 million residents in Zhuhai, including nearly ten five-star hotels alone. Mr. Zhao said that the six elements of travel are "food, shelter, transportation, travel, shopping and entertainment". Compared with the cities in the Pearl River Delta, Zhuhai lags behind Guangzhou and Shenzhen, but develops better than the cities at the same level.

Hengqin Changlong may become the engine of tourism development.

The theme park in Zhuhai here is struggling, and the Hengqin Changlong Ocean Resort there is in full swing. On October 2010165438+10, the main project of Zhuhai Changlong Ocean Resort started in Hengqin, which is a super-large theme park integrating amusement, performance, high-tech experience and animal viewing. The reporter learned from the battalion commander Longshi last month that the underground space construction of Changlong Ocean Kingdom Project has been completed. According to the progress of the project, fish will be launched in August next year. The main building of Chimelong Dolphin Hotel, the largest hotel in China, has been built to the sixth floor, and the annex has been built to the eighth floor. It is expected that all of them will be capped before the Spring Festival of 20 12. After the completion of Hengqin Chimelong Ocean Kingdom, there will be a 2 10-meter-high Ferris wheel, a 2-kilometer-long roller coaster and a giant ocean museum, which may become the "childhood memories" of the next generation.

What will be the fate of this "big MAC" of tourism? Wang Qun, a colleague, said that "Changlong may become the engine of Zhuhai's tourism development", and expert Sun Jiuxia also thought that "it is worth looking forward to!"

Wang Qun told reporters that if Zhuhai wants to become a real tourist city, it really needs large-scale tourism projects to turn Zhuhai into a destination from the current "transit destination" and get a share of the 6,543.8 billion tourists who enter and leave Hong Kong and Macao in Zhuhai. "The future sea world is the concept of a tourist city and a large complex. However, it is not in place at one time, but it is also gradually completed in several years, which just solves the problem of outdated tourism projects at present. " Chimelong project is of far-reaching significance for enhancing Zhuhai's image as a tourist city and promoting Zhuhai's development.

Sun Jiuxia believes that the Hengqin Chimelong Project itself is a famous tourism brand in Asia. Different from ordinary theme parks, Chimelong's target consumer groups are at least high-end tourists from Hong Kong, Macao and Asia. This "cluster theme park" will quickly enhance Zhuhai's popularity and influence, and then promote Zhuhai's tourism development.

It can be predicted that once the Changlong project is officially opened, it will have a "great" impact on the theme parks in Zhuhai and surrounding cities. Wang Qun admits that the appearance of "Big Mac" will have a positive impact on other theme parks in the short term, but he emphasizes that Chimelong can make the whole cake of tourism bigger, which is "really a good thing" for small enterprises!

Weishui history

A must-see for foreign tourists.

On May 4th, 1985, Zhuhai International Golf Amusement Company was grandly opened. Gu Guoxiang, a citizen of Zhuhai, recalled: "A sea of people! Also released 1000 homing pigeons. No one is allowed in except guests and staff. " One of his friends ate a lot at a cocktail party. "This is his glory, and we envy him ..." After its completion, Pearl Paradise has become a "must-see" for local citizens and foreign tourists. Netizen "Bao Ge" said that when early relatives and friends came from the north, he would take them to Pearl Paradise for a good reception.

Recruit civil servants, such as taking the exam

Tan Wei, the first batch of staff, even felt infinite in his memories. "At that time, 10 workers were recruited, and more than 500 people signed up for the competition", which is no less than the current civil service examination. After he crossed the "single-plank bridge", he got a salary of 100 yuan in the first month. At that time, the average wage of others was around 30 yuan, which was really "awesome". "My relatives and friends all envy me for winning the golden rice bowl."

Small data

International Golf Club, Pearl Paradise and Golf Villa are three enterprises or business entities under Zhuhai International Golf Amusement Company, which belong to the first Sino-Japanese cooperation project introduced by Zhuhai Special Economic Zone. On June 5438+ 10 this year, the roller coaster, fast scooter, ferris wheel, jet skateboard, small racing car, interstellar spider, rotary plane, forest mouse car, monorail car, lift-off ring, children scooter, spaceship and other 12 projects in Pearl Paradise began to stop running and were demolished one after another.

Chronicle of events

●1983 September 10, Zhuhai International Golf Course broke ground.

● On May 4th, 1985, Zhuhai International Golf and Recreation Company was grandly opened. On the same day, Hua, then vice chairman of the National People's Congress Standing Committee (NPCSC), Huang Qingqu, vice governor of Guangdong Province, secretary of Zhuhai Municipal Party Committee, mayor, four daughters of Japanese Emperor, Houzi Ikeda, and celebrities from Hong Kong and Macao, Ke Zhengping and others attended the opening ceremony.

● 1993, with the special approval of Zhuhai Municipal Government, Zhuhai International Golf Club began to develop and operate golf villa projects.

● In 2003, affected by SARS, the operation of Pearl Paradise entered a "cold winter" period. At that time, employees adopted the working system of "working for half a month and resting for half a month", which lasted for about half a year.

● In 2004, the assets of Japanese investors in Japan went into bankruptcy and reorganization due to operational difficulties.

● In September, 2065438+00, due to the expiration of the service life of the equipment, Pearl Paradise began to stop using some entertainment projects with expired service life.

● 2011165438+1At the end of October, the Ferris wheel, as a landmark entertainment project of Pearl Paradise, was demolished.

(Article source: Southern Metropolis Daily)

(Editor: Tang Wei)