<p>Universal Studios' Beijing resort was set to open its doors to the public on Monday after a two-decade wait, including delays because of Covid-19.</p>.<p>The highly-anticipated opening takes place amid US-China relations that have deeply deteriorated in recent years.</p>.<p>The park will be US-based Universal's largest and its fifth globally. It is also a first for Beijing, which lacks a big branded theme park to rival the Disney resorts in Shanghai and Hong Kong.</p>.<p><strong>Also read: <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/international/horror-offers-escape-from-pandemic-year-at-universal-theme-park-1028702.html" target="_blank">Horror offers 'escape' from pandemic year at Universal theme park</a></strong></p>.<p>And, it will be the first Universal park with a section dedicated to the movie "Kung Fu Panda" and includes an area based on the Harry Potter franchise, which is popular in China.</p>.<p>All 10,000 tickets for the opening available in a pre-sale on Sept. 14 sold out in three minutes, according to Trip.com Group.</p>.<p>However, many complained on social media about ticket costs, which range from 418 yuan ($64.76) in the low season to 748 yuan during peak periods.</p>.<p>"This is a rare time in a long while when an America-themed topic has attracted such obvious and widespread praise in China," the Global Times, a nationalistic tabloid published by the ruling Communist Party's People's Daily, wrote last week.</p>.<p>The resort was proposed 20 years ago by the Beijing Tourism Group, according to the official China Daily, and is 30% owned by Comcast Corp's Universal Parks & Resorts and 70% by state-owned Beijing Shouhuan Cultural Tourism Investment.</p>.<p>The new Chinese ambassador to Washington, Qin Gang, likened its roller coaster ride to ties between the two countries.</p>.<p>"After all the tumbling and shakes, the roller coaster came to a soft landing in the end," he tweeted on Tuesday.</p>.<p>Universal Studios announced the development of the resort in 2014, saying at the time it would cost $3.3 billion. In 2017, Comcast Chief Executive said the park could provide $1 billion of operating cash flow per year when it opened.</p>.<p><strong>Check out latest DH videos here:</strong></p>
<p>Universal Studios' Beijing resort was set to open its doors to the public on Monday after a two-decade wait, including delays because of Covid-19.</p>.<p>The highly-anticipated opening takes place amid US-China relations that have deeply deteriorated in recent years.</p>.<p>The park will be US-based Universal's largest and its fifth globally. It is also a first for Beijing, which lacks a big branded theme park to rival the Disney resorts in Shanghai and Hong Kong.</p>.<p><strong>Also read: <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/international/horror-offers-escape-from-pandemic-year-at-universal-theme-park-1028702.html" target="_blank">Horror offers 'escape' from pandemic year at Universal theme park</a></strong></p>.<p>And, it will be the first Universal park with a section dedicated to the movie "Kung Fu Panda" and includes an area based on the Harry Potter franchise, which is popular in China.</p>.<p>All 10,000 tickets for the opening available in a pre-sale on Sept. 14 sold out in three minutes, according to Trip.com Group.</p>.<p>However, many complained on social media about ticket costs, which range from 418 yuan ($64.76) in the low season to 748 yuan during peak periods.</p>.<p>"This is a rare time in a long while when an America-themed topic has attracted such obvious and widespread praise in China," the Global Times, a nationalistic tabloid published by the ruling Communist Party's People's Daily, wrote last week.</p>.<p>The resort was proposed 20 years ago by the Beijing Tourism Group, according to the official China Daily, and is 30% owned by Comcast Corp's Universal Parks & Resorts and 70% by state-owned Beijing Shouhuan Cultural Tourism Investment.</p>.<p>The new Chinese ambassador to Washington, Qin Gang, likened its roller coaster ride to ties between the two countries.</p>.<p>"After all the tumbling and shakes, the roller coaster came to a soft landing in the end," he tweeted on Tuesday.</p>.<p>Universal Studios announced the development of the resort in 2014, saying at the time it would cost $3.3 billion. In 2017, Comcast Chief Executive said the park could provide $1 billion of operating cash flow per year when it opened.</p>.<p><strong>Check out latest DH videos here:</strong></p>