Sounds like the opening was a real... p***...
Chinese bring culture shock to HK Disney
15:17 AEST Tue Sep 13 2005
AAP
AP - Mainland Chinese tourists visiting Hong Kong Disneyland on its debut day smoked in non-smoking areas, went barefoot and even let children urinate in public.
The Apple Daily described the behaviour of mainland tourists as "disgraceful" while acknowledging that they "brought good business" to the park as it opened its gates on Monday to 16,000 visitors.
The park estimated that about a third were from mainland China.
Although Hong Kong, a former British colony, returned to Chinese rule in 1997, many locals regard themselves as more refined and educated than their mainland Chinese counterparts.
The Ming Pao Daily reported Tuesday that visitors from mainland China disregarded the theme park's rules and smoked cigarettes in restaurants and other nonsmoking areas. It ran a photo showing a woman in a Minnie Mouse cap smoking in an open area.
The newspaper carried another photograph showing a woman from the southern Chinese province of Guangdong helping a young child loosen his trousers to urinate beside a flower bed.
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The Apple Daily had a similar photograph of a child urinating near one of the park's restaurants and another shot of four mainland Chinese women resting on the ground barefoot.
A cleaner at the park complained that there were more cigarette butts to pick up Monday compared to pre-opening rehearsal days, when visitors were mostly local Hong Kongers, the report said.
Hong Kong Disneyworld spokeswoman Esther Wong declined to say whether she thought the reports would tarnish the park's image. She said the rules require that all guests wear shoes within the park.
"All our cast members are trained to handle different guest situations," she said. "Cast members" is Disney lingo for its employees.
Blackie Pueblo
