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| Monkey Kingdom theme park planning session |
Cross-cultural conference at UCLA Oct 20-22 will feature sessions with theme park industry leaders and a focus on China
Zhang Jizhong, currently involved in the creation of a Chinese theme park based on the Monkey King legend (opening near Beijing in 2014) will give the keynote address at The “Media & Culture in Contemporary China” conference, Oct 20-22 at the University of Southern California, Los Angeles (UCLA). Chinese producer and director Jizhong is renowned for his TV serializations of the classic Ming dynasty novels, Romance of the Three Kingdoms, The Water Margin, and Journey to the West.
Conference session topics include the globalization of theme parks, the state of the film and TV industry in contemporary China; and recreating Chinese history and classic literature in film and TV.”
Organizers say, “This conference will explore the globalization of the China entertainment industry and the impact of film and TV on public perception of history and culture in China. It aims to bring together industry leaders, artists, scholars, students, and the public. The boundaries between Hollywood and Asia are fast disappearing.”
Theme park specific sessions at the conference:
- Moderator: R. Bin Wong, History & Director, Asia Institute, UCLA
- Panelists:
> Dr. Wing T Chao, FAIA, Master Planner and Architect
> Bob Weis, Executive Vice President, Walt Disney Imagineering
> Brent Young, Principal and Creative Director, Super 78 Studios
> Shi Zhang, Associate Professor, UCLA Anderson School of Management
> Thomas E. McLain, Partner, Arnold & Porter LLP and Chairman of the Asia Society Southern California
- Chair: David C. Kang, Professor, International Relations, USC
- Panelists:
> Hai Ren, East Asian Languages, University of Arizona, “Leisure as an Event of Self-Formation at a Chinese Theme Park”
> Dru Gladney, Anthropology, Pomona, “Nationalizing Cultures: It’s a Big World After All”
> Susan Brownell, Anthropology, University of Missouri-St. Louis, “World Expo Shanghai 2010: Why it wasn’t a media event, but still drew 70 million spectators”
> Jay Wang, USC Center on Public Diplomacy, and Sun Shaojing, School of Journalism, Fudan University, “Experiencing cultures: Chinese visitors’ encounter with nation-brands at Shanghai Expo” - Discussant: Yunxiang Yan, Anthropology & Director, Center for Chinese Studies, UCLA
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