New Theme Park in Mexico to Compete with Disneyland

Mexico will construct a theme park inspired by the Mayan civilization to rival Disneyland. (AFP)
Mexico will construct a theme park inspired by the Mayan civilization to rival Disneyland. (AFP)
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New Theme Park in Mexico to Compete with Disneyland

Mexico will construct a theme park inspired by the Mayan civilization to rival Disneyland. (AFP)
Mexico will construct a theme park inspired by the Mayan civilization to rival Disneyland. (AFP)

Lovers of the ancient Mayan culture can now learn and spend a good time in a new under-construction theme park on the Caribbean coast of Mexico inspired by the civilization.

The massive project, dubbed Amikoo, or “friend” in the Mayan language, is located about 55 km south of Cancun. It will house a museum, hotel, beach resort and recreation park, according to AUSA and Gala groups for properties development.

The two companies have invested $840 million in the new amusement park in the Riviera Maya district. The park is expected to compete with the famous Disneyland.

According to the German News Agency (dpa), the first phase of the project includes a museum, a 320-room hotel, flight simulators, a diving center, a leisure center, restaurants, a surfing pool and a ballroom.

The two investing companies said that the second phase will see the establishment of a 1,200-room beach resort and a theme park by 2020.



China Snow Village Apologizes for Fake Cotton Snow 

People walk along a street in Beijing, China, 16 February 2025. (EPA) 
People walk along a street in Beijing, China, 16 February 2025. (EPA) 
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China Snow Village Apologizes for Fake Cotton Snow 

People walk along a street in Beijing, China, 16 February 2025. (EPA) 
People walk along a street in Beijing, China, 16 February 2025. (EPA) 

A tourist village in China's southwestern province of Sichuan famed for its scenic snow landscape said it was sorry for using cotton wool and soapy water to create fake snow after online criticism from visitors went viral.

In a post on its official Wechat account on February 8, the Chengdu Snow Village project said during the Lunar New Year holiday at the end of January, the weather was warm and the snow village did not take shape as anticipated.

China is facing hotter and longer heat waves and more frequent and unpredictable heavy rain as a result of climate change, the country's weather bureau has warned.

"In order to create a 'snowy' atmosphere the tourist village purchased cotton for the snow...but it did not achieve the expected effect, leaving a very bad impression on tourists who came to visit," the Chengdu Snow Village project said in the statement.

After receiving feedback from the majority of netizens, the tourist area began to clean up all the snow cotton.

The village said it "deeply apologizes" for the changes and that tourists could get a refund. The site has since been closed.

Photos on Wechat showed large cotton wool sheets strewn about the grounds, only partially covering leafy areas. A thick snow layer appeared to blanket the houses in the zone but as you got closer, it was all cotton, said one netizen.

"A snow village without snow," said another user.

"In today's age of well-developed Internet, scenic spots must advertise truthfully and avoid deception or false advertising, otherwise they will only shoot themselves in the foot."