In Bad Taste

A Chinese construction company has jumped into the entertainment field by creating an entertainment park where visitors can play war games with laser guns.

According to a newspaper article, the place has the perfect props and setting, with lots of open spaces to run around in and hills and mounds to duck behind.

Where is it?

In Huilonggou district, Penzhou City, in the earthquake-hit Sichuan Province.

Many netizens, people who either write blogs or comment on forums, were outraged by this commercial venture.

"How would the Americans react if someone builds an amusement park on Ground Zero?" asked an Internet user.

Others said the quake-ravaged area is a "place of sadness and condolence", and an entertainment establishment showed "disrespect for the dead".

But apparently more were fine with it.

According to an online survey on sina.com, of the 6,624 people who participated, 64 percent were in favour of the theme park, and only 29 percent disagreed.

Dai Jun, general manager of Baoshan Group, the construction company, reasoned: "The spirits of the earthquake victims would wish for a happy life for those who survived, and for a prosperous economy for the survivors to live in. The theme park is attracting a lot of crowds and a lot of revenue."

He stresses that that particular area was formerly the Peony Garden and no one actually died in that exact place.

Though the article doesn't explain how much it costs to play war games in the park or how much revenue the place is generating, Dai's comments are outright crass.

It seems like an easy way for this construction company to make a quick buck without having to build anything really.

Looks like some people will do just about anything to make money.