China's Dwarf Theme Park Not Accepted By America's Little People

(MYFOX NATIONAL) - This past September, Chinese entrepreneur Chen Mingjing opened up an amusement park called Kingdom of the Little People near Kunming, China in the Yunnan province to showcase dwarfs performing skits including a comedic take on “Swan Lake.”

But not everyone is thinking this is a great idea reports The New York Times .

Spokesman for Little People of America Gary Arnold is especially taken aback by the business venture.

“I think it is horrible,” said Arnold. “What is the difference between it and a zoo?”

The term “dwarf” is offensive to some people and the Little People of America prefer to use the term “person of short stature.”

Arnold told AOL News he believes that the park is segregating those who live with dwarfism instead of integrating them into the community. He believes that it would create more opportunity for them.

Mingjing doesn’t see it that way. He believes he is running a business that is accomplishing some good by employing people that might have a hard time finding a job, according to the Times report. He also believes he is bringing a community together that once felt lonely.

Wu Zhihong, one of the employees of Kingdom of the Little People, said, “Before, when we were at home, we didn’t know anyone our size. When we hang out together with normal-size people, we can not really do the same things. So I really felt lonely sometimes.”

According to AOL News , Arnold does agree that there is a positive to the park by giving the Chinese little people a chance to interact with one another and build relationships.

The amusement park cost $115 million to build and is set against 13,000 acres of hills and lakes. It is made up of miniature trees, houses, and a stage that looks like the stump of a tree. The project is far from complete, but Mingjing wants it to look like a fairytale. He has designed everything himself reports the Times .

Mingjing says about his employees, “It doesn’t really matter to me what other people say. The question is whether meeting me has changed their lives.”