The much-anticipated Universal Studios park will open in Beijing in 2021, according to an official announcement by the resort's management on Tuesday.

Originally slated to open this year, Universal Beijing Resort, which will be the fifth and biggest Universal Studios park in the world, will now open its doors to the public two years later.

"You thought the wait is forever, but actually, it will be 2021," the resort announced on its official Weibo account, while posting a promotional teaser video showing the theme park under construction. "This is a gift in advance for the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China. Please expect the grand opening of the Universal Beijing Resort in 2021."

The resort project was approved by the National Development and Reform Commission in September 2014 and is located in Beijing's Tongzhou district, which was positioned by the Beijing municipal government in 2015 to become the city's sub-center. The construction of the first phase of the resort has now entered its final stage with steel structural frames completed and rides installation work and gardening work under way. A subway station serving the resort will also be in operation by the end of this year.

The resort is owned by the Beijing International Resort Co., Ltd., a joint venture between the Beijing Shouhuan Cultural Tourism Investment Co., Ltd. and Universal Parks & Resorts, a business unit of Comcast NBCUniversal. The theme park destination will feature several all-new attractions along with the best Universal rides, shows and attractions from around the world. It will also have specially created experiences designed to reflect China's unique cultural heritage.

Approved by the Beijing municipal government, the Beijing Shouhuan Cultural Tourism Investment Co., Ltd. was also founded for the purpose of supporting Universal Beijing Resort in its investment, development, operation and management. Beijing Shouhuan is owned by five State-owned companies, including the Beijing Tourism Group, one of China's largest tourism companies.

The initial phase of Universal Beijing Resort, covering over 60 hectares, will include the world-renowned theme park – Universal Studios as well as the Universal CityWalk retail, dining and entertainment complex. According to China's media reports, it will have seven zones with attractions and rides inspired by Universal's big productions, including Harry Potter, Minions, Jurassic Park, Waterworld, Transformers, as well as Hollywood attractions and the Kung Fu Panda franchise.

It will also have two extraordinary and world-first hotel concepts: The Universal Studios Grand Hotel and the NUO Resort Hotel. The hotels will be destinations unto themselves, offering "incredibly immersive experiences through the perfect blending of unique stylish designs and historic and cultural features". This will bring entirely new hospitality experiences to life for visitors at the Universal Beijing Resort, the resort management said on Sept. 3.

The 800-room Universal-branded hotel, which is designed to be a four-star family resort hotel, is inspired by Spanish renaissance architecture and will contain many film elements within its premises. As for the NUO Resort Hotel, its architecture is inspired by China's famous Yuanmingyuan (Old Summer Palace). The NUO Resort Hotel will be a five-star hotel with 400 rooms, and its construction will soon be completed.

Key International Hotels Management Co., Ltd., a joint venture between the Beijing Tourism Group and Kempinski Hotels, will help deliver the guest experience. The design of the two hotels were led by Universal Parks & Resorts, with support from internationally and domestically acclaimed institutions, while the actual construction of the two hotels is being managed by the Beijing International Resort Co., Ltd.

Now Universal Parks & Resorts currently owns and operates Universal Studios Hollywood, Universal Orlando Resort and Universal Studios Japan and has a license agreement with Universal Studios Singapore. Previous reports said the Beijing theme park has secured an investment of 50 billion yuan ($7.4 billion).

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