Concrete and Clay

Well, we all know the Chinese are very good at reproducing products from around the world. From rare flower hybrids to Louis Vuitton bags, their craftsmanship when it comes to duplication is quite simply unparralelled.
I remember my friend in Japan telling me that his colleague had moved to Shanghai and decided to furbish his new flat. Instead of going to Habitat, this guy simply brought the catalogue to some furniture artisans on the outskirts of the city and they reproduced everything from a large leather couch, to a stylish designer coffee table - all at a fraction of the price at Habitat.
However, when I heard that a Disney style theme park - complete with Micky Mouse and Goofy figurants- had been open for 21 years in China, I thought this is too crazy. But its true. They've had the place open there with characters from Disney, in a flagrant breach of copywright. But get this: they have also included other characters such as Hello Kitty, the cute little cat from Japanese company Sanrio- nothing at all to do with the Disney company.
Now, the difference between a Louis Vuitton fake and and a real LV is in the number of stitches. A real one has five stitches on either side of its handle. Apparently, this is difficult to master as stitches usually come in pairs. The fake versions usually have 3 pairs. But with a theme park such as Disneyland, where children's dreams are at stake, the stitching of the Micky costume is probably not as important the discipline of the actor within the costume (we all remember Goofy losing it a few years back at DisneyWorld, Florida). Indeed, the real Disneyland character actors are forbidden from removing their headgear at any time in order to preserve this suspension of disbelief.
Anyway, I was forwarded a clip from Youtube, with some japanese tourists at the chinese version of the theme park. I've put it below. The report is in Japanese but you don't need to understand the language to get the gist. It was translated to me though, and the best bit is at 2.10-2.15 when the guy in the suit, the owner of the theme park, insists that they have no Mickey Mouse character.
Have a nice weekend.