Willy Wonka Chocolate Theme Park to Open

You have to give credit to the Chinese. They know what markets are ripe for growth in this dour economy and how to "Present" to grab the world's attention a la Olympic style, "beyond imagination" according to the general manager of this upcoming project.

I always wondered what countries did to maximize on the vast terrain cratered by an Olympic site. The Chinese are brilliant.

China plans to cater to the country's rising number of chocoholics with the opening next year of a Willy Wonka-style theme park in Beijing, complete with a replica Great Wall.

The 'world chocolate dream park', reminiscent of Roald Dahl's beloved book Charlie and the Choc-olate Factory, will feature a life-size edible Terracotta Army, Great Wall and versions of famous paintings, the China Daily said.

The park, due to open in January 2010, will be located in the Olympic Green, which also includes the iconic Bird's Nest stadium and the Water Cube aquatics centre used during the Beijing Summer Games last year.

The site will include five pavilions and two outdoor sites where chocolate-made objects, such as the replica Great Wall, will be on display, the report said.

Chocolate is not as popular in China as it is in Western countries, but the sweet treat is increasingly popular with the nation's younger generation.

A number of prestigious chocolate makers from Europe, including Belgium and Switzerland, want to participate in the project, but Tina Chenge, general manager would not reveal their names in a recent interview.

"There is the potential for a huge market in China with regards to chocolate consumption," she said, according to the report.

"That's why many overseas chocolate producers are vying to join our project."