Universal Studios Beijing
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The new Universal Studios theme park currently under construction in Beijing will incorporate 35% of “Chinese elements”, Beijing Business Today reports.

As Universal Studios is a movie-based concept, there are concerns that Universal doesn’t have enough popular movies based on Chinese stories. As such, initial performances at the park are likely to be predominantly American, but more Chinese elements will be included in later phases.

the entire three-phase project will cover a total area of 4km² and will require a total investment of CNY100 billion (US$14.5bn). Work on the project, which is located in the eastern Tongzhou district of Beijing, started in October 2016 and the first phase is expected to open in 2020.

Source: http://www.traveldailymedia.com/248175/universal-studios-beijing-to-be-35-chinese/

The Beijing park, located in eastern Tongzhou district, will exceed its Orlando peer in scale and content richness, and will be the largest-ever Universal theme park, according to Duan.

The first phase will cover an area of 1.59 square kilometers, upon which two hotels of 1,200 to 1,400 rooms will be built, said Duan. Apart from that, a Universal CityWalk entertainment zone will also be constructed.

One hotel will be Universal-branded while the other will carry the NUO brand, according to Wang Xin, general manager of Beijing Hotel Nuo Company Limited.

Duan added that the whole project, including phase one and two and even phase three extension, will cover a total area of four square kilometers and need a total investment of 100 billion yuan ($14.46 billion).

Source: http://www.ecns.cn/business/2017/03-14/249204.shtml

Looks like we're back to 2020 completion!

The source also says the plan is to start hiring staff during the second half of 2019. The source also mentions Universal is planning to integrate Chinese elements into the theme park. This reminds me of Shanghai Disneyland's "authentically Disney and distinctly Chinese”

Source: http://www.zaobao.com.sg/realtime/china/story20170308-733450

Thank you for work, Michael. It's interesting to see to what extent groundwork has already commenced, you can almost see the full structure of the park and hotels imprinted.

Here's the latest satellite imagery for Universal Studios Beijing:



You can see all the excavation vehicles lined up on site:



Source: https://goo.gl/maps/AxtU3eZLAG52

It's funny because the park on the left is an exact replica of USF except it's reversed/flipped over.

The extended metro line that CarlySX previously mentioned is on track (pun intended) for completion sometime between Septemebr 2019 and the end of 2019.

Regarding the Universal Studios theme park itself, groundwork at the site is still ongoing and will continue through November 2017 while completion of the park as a whole has been pushed back to 2021.

Sources: http://news.xinhuanet.com/local/2017-01/17/c_1120329656.htm and http://www.zbwmy.com/xmxx/xmdt/2017/01/16110004408929.html

The metro line is being extended out to the park and should open 2019

According to previously public information, the Metro Batong line will be a station south to the Universal Theme Park Station, and here and 7 line east extension transfer. Today, we learned that the latest news is that the eight-line extension of the South and Line 7 East Extension will be in the Tongzhou Wen area and then set up a station - Park Station, the specific location in the Universal Studios theme park east, West of the East Sixth Ring Road.

These green covers can be seen on the maps and cover the park area and the utilities work which has started for pipelines, transportation etc.





Source: http://www.weidu8.net/wx/1002148050736120

Source: Google Maps
http://maps.google.com

That artwork also features Happy Valley Beijing:
http://www.thethemeparkguy.com/park/happy-valley-beijing/

Looks like the concept artists for the metro line didn't have any constraints by his/her Mainland Chinese employer on what elements to use for the background.