When West meets East...

The American quest to find a never-never land where all dreams come true has discovered new hope in Asia.

Far away from the busy downtown area, Hong Kong Disneyland has some value-added fun to offer, in addition to the state-of-the- art attractions visitors can find at other Disney theme parks in California, Florida, Tokyo and Paris.

To make it happen, the management of Hong Kong Disneyland -- a joint venture between The Walt Disney Company and the Hong Kong government -- asked the help of feng shui master Peter So in creating the blueprint of the 126-hectare site on Lantau island.

It was So who advised that the land overlooking Penny's Bay be reclaimed to form the park's main entrance, flanked by a backdrop of two mountains.

"The original entrance was at the now MTR (Mass Transit Railway) station. Now it is embraced by the dragon and tiger... We made minor adjustments to the rocks that stood between the mountain and the Sleeping Beauty Castle to make fortune flow in better," said So.

The crouching tiger and the hidden dragon symbolize equilibrium and tranquility, as in the yin-yang symbol.

"The best locations are designated for the main attractions, such as Space Mountain and Buzz Lightyear Astro Blasters," said So, who is always dressed in white.

Feng shui is not the only local cultural element reflected in the design of attractions, hotels, shops and restaurants offering Chinese cuisine.

"Besides English, announcements and narrations are also provided in Mandarin, Cantonese and Putonghua (the local dialect)," said Eva Cheng, the Hong Kong commissioner for tourism.

"This Disneyland may not be different from other Disneyland parks, but it is different," she added.

Well, being different is exactly what Disney is about.

-- Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak