Jiu Cheng

The first land guests enter at Disney’s Dark Kingdom is Jiu Cheng, an inversion of Main Street USA. Where Main Street is a nostalgic look into the past, Jiu Cheng (old city in Chinese) is a realistic overview of the less-fortunate past. Where Main Street portrays a small-town, Jiu Cheng portrays the big-city.

Jiu Cheng is overrun with poverty and crime. Those with a close eye will notice tiny details, such as a room above having the sign "rent not paid; evicted" taped on or a newspaper on a wall reporting the rise of crime in the modernizing city. An animatronic roofer will repeatedly sing:

You load sixteen tons, what do you get? Another day older and deeper in debt.

But for new, naive park guests, this is simply a nice old town.

Entering the park, guests pass through a traditional Chinese building. Architecture in Jiu Cheng reflects the passing of time. The entry plaza consists of entirely traditional architecture, but as we move down the street things becoming increasingly modern, culminating in the city square.

The change in architecture is also rooted in villainy: what seems to be a nice place is simply a front, and the further you descend into the Dark Kingdom the more its criminal inspiration is revealed.

The plaza now funnels into a single “Main Street”. To our right is a series of fronts. Each are subtly themed to Disney Villains- such as an apple shop or a thindle sewing machine. But they all house one great shop: The Brass Bazar. If you can think of it, it sells here. The shop was been purposefully designed to appear out of place and disorganized, but in reality it is the shopping center of the park.

Across from the Brass Bazar is Li’s Kitchen ($$), an authentic Chinese kitchen. By that we mean you’ll be served good food for a solid price. But don’t expect to relax!

Right next to Li’s is the stroller and locker center for the park.

Right next to strollers is a certain building that may look familiar...

Back on Main Street, right next to the Sanctum Sanctorum is the Lantern Shop. This sells both traditional Chinese lanterns as well as some “Disney Characters” ones. Buy your own special lantern and take it around the park!

Right across the road is the Flower and Fruit Shop. It sells exactly what you think. Not only does this sell a great healthy alternative, but this storefront helps sell the belief in this land. While the other areas of the park may be more fantastical, Jiu Cheng has its foundations in reality, and strives to be as realistic as possible. Small details such as this shop help make it feel a living environment, and not just a series of theming that connects two awesome e-tickets.

Along the waterfront is the “pier”. During the day, you may walk-through the boats in port. There is a traditional junk boat and modern military cruiser, highlighting the differences between past and present. There is informational panels showcasing the poor working conditions of the past, especially on the boats. At night, the boats leave the area to become set pieces for the show. Benches are erected and it becomes a public seating spot.