Eat, drink, live China

Eric Domb hugs a Chinese craftsman who helped build China Park for his Pairi Daiza zoo. Photos by Fu Jing / China Daily

A Belgian park owner has a dream to create a little piece of the Middle Kingdom in Brussels. Fu Jing learns more about his vision.

The Pairi Daiza zoo is a 40-minute drive south of Brussels, set among farmland, forest and zigzagging country roads. Zoo chief Eric Domb sees it as a platform that exhibits animals, plants and people, and also civilization manifested in eight "worlds" set out over several hectares of what he calls paradise.

His favorite among these is China Park.

Domb, who celebrated his 52nd birthday on a flight to Beijing recently, calls this section of the park "the city of immortals".

"My fascination with Chinese civilization started from infancy and I am now trying to present the symbols of its beauty in my zoo," Domb says. His aim is to make visitors feel the peace as they saunter through five hectares of Chinese temples, pavilions and winding pathways. They will be able to see red pandas, birds and alligators in one of the largest Chinese gardens outside China.

To satisfy hunger and thirst, the park also includes a Chinese restaurant and a teahouse.

More than 8 million euros ($10.2 million) were invested in the China Park and Chinese craftsmen were brought in to build it. Pairi Daiza is listed on the stock exchange, and the heavy investment has paid off, as the theme park attracts close to a million visitors each year.

Domb's fascination with China began when his mother read him Chinese fairytales. His parents also liked Chinese tea and collected Chinese arts and crafts, including poetry, ceramics and paintings.

He developed an interest in Chinese culture and philosophy, which persists to this day.