News Plus慢速英语:北京环球主题公园2019年开园 上海现豪华宠物葬礼

You are listening to NEWS Plus Special English. I'm Mark Griffiths in Beijing.
Residents from the southern U.S. city of Houston have enjoyed a night feast of music, movement and colors with a distinct Chinese flavor.
The event featured more than 30 artists from China in over a dozen captivating performances, including traditional dances in splendid costumes, Peking opera renditions imbued with mythological charms, and unique rap-style storytelling to the beat of bamboo clappers.
The two-hour show was sponsored by the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of the State Council of China, to commemorate the 66th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China.
For local Chinese-Americans, it was also an occasion to mark the Mid-Autumn Festival, a traditional celebration of harvest and family reunion for those of Asian descent.

This is NEWS Plus Special English.
Universal Studios says it plans to complete its Hollywood theme park in Beijing by 2019.
The American media and entertainment company made the announcement at an event to mark the launch of the project at the headquarter of NBC Universal, in New York after getting the green light from Beijing authorities.
The project, approved last September, will be built in Tongzhou district, east of Beijing.
It will be the sixth theme park built by Universal Studios globally. The project is billed to be the company's largest theme park ever.
Famous Hollywood director Stephen Spielberg will be involved in design of the park which will include many Chinese elements. These elements are expected to be a major attraction to both foreign and local tourists.
The development of the theme park will be finished in 2019 and Beijing's subway line 7 will also be extended to allow an easier commute to the park by then.

This is NEWS Plus Special English.
At a funeral for a pet dog, a carved wooden coffin was borne by limousine hearse to a 750-year-old temple in Shanghai, where Buddhist monks chanted eulogies before the animal's body was cremated and the ashes turned into a synthetic memorial diamond.
Today, pet lovers are sparing no expense when it comes to caring for their dogs, during life and after. In addition to funerals, they splash cash on pet spas and insurance.
The pet service industry is thriving in China. A pet service company in Shanghai's Pudong New Area says customers come from other provinces seeking their services.
The cost of a pet funeral can range from 500 yuan to 9,000 yuan; that's roughly 800 to 1,500 U.S. Dollars.
The company owns a 2,000-square-meter pet cemetery in Pudong for dog lovers who don't want their pets cremated. An online cemetery is also provided.