Chasing dreams at Universal Beijing Resort

The Universal Beijing Resort has become a hot destination in Beijing. The staff members here not only "create" happiness for tourists, but also pursue their own dreams in life.

At 9 a.m., 25-year-old Ge Tingting usually starts to prepare the ingredients for popcorn. About two hours later, there is a long queue in front of the popcorn stall in the resort's Minion Land. Ge skillfully turns off the heat and pours out the popcorn for the guests.

She joined the theme park in February last year, seven months before its grand opening in September, and has now become the "Queen of Popcorn" -- a nickname given by her colleagues.

"The window is full of popcorn, conveying a sense of satisfaction, and the tourists will be happy to see it," she says.

Ge's colleague Hong Yang is a big fan of Harry Potter and now works as a clerk at Ollivanders wand shop. He considers himself lucky to have found work that combines with his interests.

"Be careful when using the Elder Wand because its magic is so powerful," Hong offers advice to two "wizards."

In the Jurassic World Isla Nublar, a "baby raptor" is lying on Zhou Feihu's right arm, sometimes grunting and sometimes opening its mouth to show its sharp teeth. Zhou's job requires him to answer various questions from tourists about dinosaurs.

"There are similarities between dinosaurs and lizards, so we went to zoos to observe lizards and read a lot of books and watched videos about dinosaurs to better understand them," says Zhou.

Yu Xi is on the facility maintenance team at the resort, and like 70 percent of the team members, he works night shifts.

It is then, after the hustle and bustle of the daytime, that the intense work of maintenance takes place.

The strong wind, snow and rain in winter takes its toll on all the facilities. For Yu, the main concern is to keep things running smoothly and safely, bringing blockbuster fun to the tourists.

Yu tells of the time the track on "Jurassic Flyers" became frozen. He brought his team in the maintenance vehicle with a small mallet to hammer the ice. It took more than three hours for them to clean a nearly 500-meter-long track.

"I started as an apprentice in a factory, but I didn't like looking at cold machines all day. In the theme park, I can sense the pleasure of the tourists from their gestures and expressions. This work brings joy to lots of people, as well as to me," says Yu.

As the morning sun brightens the park, a new day arrives along with new delights for the visitors.  ■