Ethnic theme park

Ethnic theme parks are theme parks based on traditions & cultures of the multitude of ethnic groups. These parks afford the glimpse into a cultures and geographic areas of different countries around the world. Two examples of these parks are the Window of the World and Happy Valley Beijing which attract tourists worldwide.

The grouping allocates a separate “village” to each ethnic group, allowing tourists and other visitors to absorb the individuality they portray. Heritage and history are simulated through elaborate costumes and roles. Visitors also develope an opportunity to participate in some of the cultural practices of these ethnic groups and to engage in discussion.

The precise infrastructure of each park is different but each aims to dispense a display effect for as numerous cultural identities as possible. At Windows Around the World, for example, national heritage is classified into three categories: primitive song and dance, professional modifications, and further creative modifications.

Controversies

A debate over authenticity has been sparked in light of the fact that several employees make up nationalities separate from their own individual heritages. The Wa people, for instance, play the roles of African ethnic groups, while Native Americans are gave by ethnic Mongolians. This may be an example of Cultural appropriation.

Disputes also linger over the measure to which governments and corporations seek to mask and embellish what they wish within the walls of the park. According to Thomas Mullaney, a Stanford University historian, these parks are highly politicized venues which seek to category the popular conviction of China as a multiethnic state.