CRI听力: Theme Park Provides Employment for Dwarfs

Small is beautiful is a saying known around the world. But little people, or dwarfs, are still discriminated against in some ways because of their size. A dwarf theme park in southwest China is changing this by providing them a home, jobs and a sense of personal worth.

Shi Yingying takes a look.

This is an entertaining version of "Swan Lake." On a grand open air stage in the theme park in southwest China's Yunnan Province, eight dwarfs dressed in white tutus perform a special version of the classic ballet. They have added their own twist to the dance, which always generates a great deal of applause.

21-year-old Wu Shuanghong is one of the stars of the show. She is dressed as Snow White.
She says the audience applauds because they truly appreciate the performance.

"I think the most beautiful moment for me is when I am performing on the stage for the audience, because I get　applause and recognition from them. We are not humiliating ourselves in order to get sympathy. Instead, we want to inspire people with our optimism, strong character and confidence, and we want them to respect us."

About one hundred dwarfs work in the theme park. Their salaries range from about 170 U.S. dollars to about 300 U.S. dollars a month, depending on their skills and abilities.

Visitor Yang Fenxian likes the performance and says it is good for the dwarfs because they do not experience any discrimination here.

"This is very interesting. These dwarfs used to be discriminated against and insulted by people, but now they are living normal lives here. They are treated as equals to us ordinary people, and it's so interesting to watch their performance here."

All the dwarfs employed at the park live here as well.

Some of them ride mini-sized scooters and others take shuttle buses back to their dormitory, which is far from the area open to visitors.

In their homes they cook, clean and enjoy having some time to themselves.

39-year-old Pei Jianguo used to busk for a living on the streets or in bars in Guangdong and Hunan provinces.

He joined the dwarf park last October and acts as a "royal guard" in the show.

The park has provided him with more than just a job and a home. He has found a future wife in his fiance Yang Juping.

"This park means a lot to us. It provided a way for us to meet and get to know each other, and finally we got together."

The park, which charges an entrance fee of 12 U.S. dollars, was created by entrepreneur Chen Mingjing, a former peasant who made his fortune from real estate and electric meters.

The businessman came up with the idea of setting up a theme park for dwarfs when he met a child born with the medical condition on a train five years ago. And now he has invested more than seven million U.S. dollars to build the miniature world that covers 13,000 acres.

He says that the park provides a sense of belonging and purpose for people who struggle to find their place in society.

"In reality, this park is not an orphanage or a home for the elderly. I want them to realize the value of their labor here, so they are actually presenting their personalities and talents by giving performances to tourists. People are watching their performances with respect instead of discrimination. That is why they got a huge round of applause. I think the park has helped integrate them into normal social life. In one word, we are providing these dwarfs with a platform to work and realize their value rather than using them to make money."

Chen says he still receives numerous applications for employment each week, and he plans to invest a further 23 million U.S. dollars to expand his Dwarf Empire. He eventually plans to hire as many as 1,000 dwarfs.

For CRI, this is Yingying.