Delicious fun

Chongqing is known for its hot and spicy cuisine but fromnow untilMarch, locals and visitors can also savor sweet chocolate in the city.24小時迷你倉 Luo Wangshu and Tan Yingzi take a tour of theWorld ChocolateWonderland. The chocolate factory has come to SouthwestChina, butwithout eccentric chocolatierWillyWonka fromthe book Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. Chocolate theme parkWorld ChocolateWonderland arrived in Chongqing on Dec 30 and will remain untilMarch 31, offering a visual and sweet feast to locals and tourists. "Ihadsomuchfuntoday," 20yearoldGuoXueyusays, adding that immersing herself in a sweet chocolate kingdomis one of her dreams come true. Guo, accompanied by her boyfriendWang Yi, visited the wonderland on the opening day. "She loves chocolate. It is also a special food between lovers," Wang says. The young love birds say they had an amazing time seeing chocolate used in weird and wonderful ways and participating in fun games. More importantly, "I can eat as much chocolate as I like, and forget about dieting just for one day," she says. The theme park is located in Yongchuan city, Chongqing, and the entrance ticket is 80 yuan ($13). Just like in Charlie and theChocolate Factory, there is a tunnel in the World Chocolate Wonderland. A chocolatecolored castle is among the amazing surprises that await visitors. The chocolate park has seven pavilions, including one for chocolatemade Chinese culture, a DIY activity area and a delicious tasting corner. The Chinese culture pavilion attracts many visitors. More than 400 chocolate Terracotta Warriors are neatly lined up in a square, looking as if they are about to march to war. But, weighing 4 kilograms each, these 30centimetertall warriors are edible. Another piece that draws attention in this section is the 12meterlong chocolate replica of Dwelling inthe FuchunMountains, one of the few surviving works by the painter Huang Gongwang (1269–1354) which is considered to be among his greatestworks. At the DIY areas, visitors can pick up chocolate syrup and molds from the tourist center. Simply pour the syrup into the molds, send them to the cooler, wait for 20 minutes, and you will get your selfmade chocolate— ready to be eaten. Staff members dressed迷你倉旺角like Snow White are seen in the wonderland, playing guessing games with children. Lucky children who beat Snow White will be rewarded with gifts. Zou Yang, a 37yearold father working in real estate, is impressed with the chocolate park. "Chocolate is my girl's favorite. The color and design of the park are wellshaped and decorated. My kid loves it," says Zou, who spent a day in the park with his 2yearold daughter. Shi Xuelian and her 3yearold son also enjoyed themselves. "The park incorporates interactive programs, allowing children and visitors to participate.Although my boy is young, I can see that he is more engaged and takes the initiative to interact," the 32yearold says. She also believes that the chocolatemade Chinese culture symbols, such as the TerracottaWarriors and Buddha statues, will give children a taste of the great combination of Eastern andWestern cultures. "The fine innovative chocolate artworks are not only attractive to children but also to us adults," she says. TheWorld ChocolateWonderland is China's first chocolate theme park. Founded in Beijing in 2010, the exhibit has already toured six cities, including Beijing, Shanghai and Taipei, attracting 2million visitors. Chongqing is its seventh stop. Tina Cheng, the founder of the wonderland, believes that using chocolate as raw material to make art works is a way to teach people about chocolate culture. "Chocolate is not only a food, a sweet snack you can buy at grocery stores or the airport. It also contains culture, which I hope to tell people through the exhibit," she says. Cheng says the inspiration behind the chocolate theme park was initiated in 2008. "People were depressed because of the economic crisis then. I wanted to create an exhibit to cheer people up," she says. Chocolate theme parks are also popular in the United States. The famous Hershey's Chocolate World Attraction, located in Pennsylvania, attracts visitors from all over the world. "We have received tour invitations from Europe and the United States. I amglad that the birthplace of chocolate approves our innovativeworks," she says, referring to the Chinese and oriental flavor of the theme park. Contact thewriters through luowangshu@chinadaily.com.cn. mini storage