Analog Cameras and Rare Films Capture the Theme Park Actors and Set in a Vivid Photo Gallery
Using analog cameras and rare films, Dominique Musorrafiti captured a series of photos portraying the actors of the theme park and their set, resulting in a kaleidoscopic photo gallery.
The Kingdom of the Little People is a theme park in China that employs people with dwarfism to perform comic acts for visitors. It has been both praised for providing job opportunities and criticized for treating dwarfism as a comedic condition. The park requires employees to be less than 51 inches tall and provides accessible dormitories. Visitors can watch performances where the actors pretend to live in small mushroom-shaped houses and act out scenes from fairy tales, ballets, and Qigong, and sometimes hip-hop dances. The park was founded in 2009 by a wealthy real estate investor who hopes to employ 1,000 people with dwarfism and make the park a popular tourist destination.
Inside the Kingdom of the Little People, Kunming, Yunnan.
The Empire of Dwarfs, also known as the Kingdom of the Little People, was an unconventional and controversial theme park located near Kunming, in Yunnan Province, China. Established as a tourism venture, the park capitalized on its unique premise: employing people with dwarfism as performers and staff. It quickly garnered attention for its peculiar approach, sparking debates on ethical grounds and cultural perceptions of disability.
During our second visit, the overt references to Snow White—a narrative initially tied to the park’s branding—had vanished. Nevertheless, the central focus on dwarfs remained unchanged, with their performances being the primary draw for visitors.
The park featured an eclectic mix of attractions, including a deformed calf, a talented acrobat from Xinjiang, and, most notably, a community of performers with dwarfism. These performers engaged in choreographed routines, singing, and dancing twice daily for audiences consisting largely of families and school groups. The spectacle was designed to entertain but also invited scrutiny due to its portrayal of the performers.
For the individuals involved, many of whom came from rural or economically disadvantaged backgrounds across China, the park represented an unusual opportunity. While the concept of a theme park centered on dwarfs may seem exploitative at first glance, it provided an alternative to a life that might otherwise involve marginalization or begging in urban areas. Performers received housing and a degree of financial independence, albeit within a framework that commodified their physical traits.
The Kingdom of the Little People raised significant ethical questions about the intersection of entertainment, employment, and the dignity of individuals with disabilities. Critics accused the park of perpetuating stereotypes and exploiting its employees, while supporters argued that it offered a rare source of income and community for individuals who might otherwise face societal exclusion.
Over time, the park’s novelty waned, and discussions about its place in modern society highlighted broader issues of representation and human rights. Whether seen as a controversial attempt at inclusion or an insensitive commercialization of disability, the Empire of Dwarfs remains a striking example of the complexities inherent in cultural tourism and ethical entertainment.
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Enjoy exciting rides at Daguan Park’s funfair area
Luna Park in China – Daguan Park is located on the shores of Dianchi Lake, in the southwest of Kunming City.
In the last two years, the park expanded the funfair area. People of every age interacts with the rides. It doesn’t matter if a quick ride costs 30 or 50 RMB. The most important thing is to have fun, feel the high, scream, smile, feel good, alive! Opening hours are from 08:30 to 18:00.
The ticket fee is 20 RMB for adults and doesn’t include rides or service you can have in the park.
Ghost town in China: The Bleak and Abandoned Structures of Chengong Chengong, a satellite city located just south of Kunming, was envisioned as a major … Read more
China-underground.com is a website about China curated by Matteo Damiani and Dominique Musorrafiti (DMSL.co).
About China-underground
China-underground.com and CinaOggi.it are two sites dedicated to Chinese culture and represent a virtual bridge between Asia and Western countries. Since 2002, China-underground has organized cultural events and festivals, and created documentaries, photoreports and magazines (Cina Magazine, Chine Magazine).
In 2001 they made their first documentary about Beijing modernisation (Beijing overload). The following year they made A Sud Delle Nuvole, a documentarist project on ethnic minorities in Yunnan province. In the same year, they founded the weblog cinaoggi.it, in Italian and two years later its English counterpart, china-underground.com. In 2005 they moved to Kunming, the capital of Yunnan, where they took to a new level their work on China, working along with International NGOs, Chinese medias, organizing cultural events like the BigScreen Festival in 2006 and 2007 (guests & jury members: Jia Zhangke, Wang Xiaoshuai, Ye Yongqing, Marco Ceresa, Jeremy Goldkorn, Tujiko Noriko, Mono, Wang Yao, Yan Yan Mak and others) and in 2008 starting the paper magazine Cina Magazine, in Italian (2008-2015) and in French (2013-2015), made in cooperation with the Yunnan Tourist Development Committee, shooting videos and mainly taking hundred of thousand of pictures, and collecting a huge archive on China. The magazine has been distributed at the World Expo Milano 2015, China Pavillion.
In 2017, Planet China magazine was founded, featuring exclusive interviews with thinkers, filmmakers, artists, writers and entrepreneurs.
For general inquiries or for advertising inquiries, use the email address below:
Dominique is Italian and proud to be a mix, her father is Italian with Greek and Polish heritage and mother is Haitian with Dominican, Spanish, French, Portuguese, African and Native American heritage. Being a mix make her appreciate to want to understand different cultures and lifestyles. She grew up in Italy, lived few years in Haiti, seven years in China, four in Spain and UK. Traveling makes her feel that we can learn something from every situation in every part of the world.
Matteo Damiani is an Italian photographer, author and motion designer. Matteo lived and worked for ten years in China. During his stay in China, he paid attention to social issues apparently of secondary importance, but which influenced heavily the Chinese domestic policies over the years.
Ciao
Planet China
Planet China vol. 12
STOP HATE, Stand against racism and violence. Exclusive interviews with Julia Chang Wang, Michelle Yang, Popo Fan, Melodie Zhao, Jessica Chou, Mimi Choi, Jingyi Wang, Tina Fung, Si Jie Loo.
Interviews with some of the best Chinese chefs and experts around the world: Matt Chen, Ken Chan, May Chow, Li Dong, Yu Bo, Jeremy Pang, Taozi, Michelle Lau, Cherry Li, Lee Xin Li, Piero Kuang Sung Ling
Exploring the Chinese LGBTQ community in Mainland China, Hong Kong, Taiwan and abroad. Exclusive interviews with Helen Zia, Joanne Leung, Shanghai Pride, Beijing LGBT Center, PFLAG China, Lin Zhipeng (No. 223), Simon Chung, Lucie Liu, Chen Chen, Lin Junliang.
Celebrating women who push boundaries – This second volume of Planet China is a collection of selected interviews with inspiring women that worked hard to reach their path and dreams: Anita Wong, Helen Feng, Zhuo Dan Ting, Min Liu, Qin Leng, Thierry Chow, Tang Min, Yang Ruiqi, Augusta Xu-Holland, Chiara Ye, Matina Cheung, Heanney McCollum, Elle Lee
Interviews with Jia Zhangke, Daniel Lee Postaer, William L. Gibson and Paul Bruthiaux, Robert G. Price, Shadow Chen, Guoke, Chi Wang, Ben Randall, Kevin Tallon, Duran Levinson.
The first edition of Big Screen took place in Padua, Italy from the 18th to the 24th of March 2004. This first edition was organized by the portal Cinaoggi.it and the University Student Association (ASU) together with Progetti Giovani. Other associations such as the commune of Padova and the University of Padova together with the Shanghai Theatre Academy collaborated with the festival. The festival screened several works from Italy and China. The students of the Shanghai Theatre Academy also screened their works. It was the first Asian Cinema Festival in Padova.
Works: Wong Karwai, Wang Xiaoshuai, Jia Zhangke, Fruit Chan, Hayo Miyazaki, Osamu Tezuka, Kazuhisa Takenouchi, Hugo Ng, Kiyoshi Kurosawa. Guests: Wu Baohe (professor, Shanghai Theatre Academy), Marco Ceresa, Marcello Ghirardi. Art directors: Dominique Musorrafiti, Matteo Damiani
A taste of short films, video art, movies and documentaries leading up to the second edition of BigScreen Asia. From art bonded to body bonded to art linked to technical means through stories of Western and Asian authors. During the evening successions of images of full and empty that describe the passage from the old traditions to the new artistic expression in China. The end of the evening featured a concert by Japanese band Mono.
Organization: Cinaoggi, ASU Authors: Lisa Partby (The new flowers of Beijing, Pao ma liu liu), abelvideo, He Jia, Guan Jang, Zhang Yang, Singing Chen, Chen Chieh-jen, Tsui Kuang-Yu, Hu Jieming. Hosts: Valentina Pedone, Felix Schoeber, Mono Art Directions: Dominique Musorrafiti, Matteo Damiani
Third appointment with the culture and cinema of the East. This edition was enriched with a view on modern Thai cinema, a substantial display of short Korean films, a photographic exhibition and a concert on Asian themes by Claudio Rocchetti. This has been of course accompanied by the presentation of works by famous producers . Wang Xiaoshuai, Wong Karwai, Fruit Chan, Rintaro, Katsuhiro Otomo, Zhang Yang and Jia Zhangke.
Organized by: Cinaoggi, ASU, University of Padova, Progetto Giovani, Padova province and Municipality Hosts: Marco Ceresa, Marco Della Gassa, Marcello Ghiraldi, Stefano Locati Art directors: Dominique Musorrafiti, Matteo Damiani
In November 2005 the organizers of CinaOggi moved to Kunming and BigScreen followed its creators to China. The festival continued to change, growing and transforming into a real competition. Different Italian universities, “La Sapienza” (Rome) , University of Naples , The Oriental languages department of the “Ca’ Foscari” University of Venice together with Yunnan Arts institute helped with the birth of BIGSCREEN ITALIA 2006. The event took place in Kunming from the 19th to the 23rd July 2006. This time the project was much more ambitious than past events.
The international high ranking jury included: Wang Xiaoshuai ( Silver Bear In Berlin, Jury’s prize in Cannes), Jia Zhangke (Golden Lion at the Venice Film Festival), Ye Yongqing (famous chinese artist), Marco Ceresa (one of the most important Italian sinologues and collaborator of the Venice Film Festival) and Song Jie (Dean of the Yunnan Arts Institute Cinema and Television Department).
Jia Zhangke, Wang Xiashuai, Dominique Musorrafiti, Matteo Damiani, Song Jie at BigScreen Italia 2006
The idea is that the Italian works are selected by a Chinese jury.
International Video Festival in China Kunming, Yunnan, 27 November 2007 – 1 December 2007
From November 27 to December 1 the Chinese city of Kunming hosted the 2007 BigScreen International Film Festival, featuring 94 films from more 30 countries. The Festival was co-organized by CinaOggi.it, GoKunming.com, Yunnan Experimental Film Base, Broadcasting and films center under the patronage of Istituto Italiano di Cultura. The official supporting media was the Chinese newspaper Dushi Shibao.
The winning films from BigScreen Film Festival 2007 were announced by a jury composed of Marco Ceresa of the Venice University “Ca’ Foscari”, screenwriter Wang Yao and Jeremy Goldkorn, founder of the highly influential Danwei.org. Winners included Hong Kong director Yan Yan Mak‘s “The Scarlet Robe” for best long film, “Il Vecchio e la Fontana” by Tony Palazzo of Italy for best short film, “Living in a Perfect World” by Italians Diego D’Innocenzo and Marco Leopardi for best documentary and “Almost Like One of the Family” by Astrid Goransson from Sweden for best animation.
Four films by French director Jean-Gabriel Périot – “Even if she had been a criminal”, “Dies Irae”, “Under Twilight” and “Nijuman No Borei” were collectively honored as the best entries in the videoart and experimental films category. The jurors said they based their selections upon the theme of modernity vs tradition, which was a common thread in all the winning movies. Special Guest were the hongkongese director Yan Yan Mak, who presented her movie “The Scarlet Robe” starring the singer Denise Ho and the Japanese singer Tujiko Noriko. Special focus on Don Askarian and Lasse Gjertsen works.
Jurors: Marco Ceresa, Wang Yao, Jeremy Goldkorn Art directors: Dominique Musorrafiti, Matteo Damiani Organized by: CinaOggi, GoKunming, Broadcasting and films center
Jennifer Gentle’s first Chinese tour was organized in collaboration with Population Services International (USA), SubPop (USA), Yunnan Arts Institute (CHINA) and with the patronage of the Italian Cultural Institute in Beijing.
A Tale of Decay: Matteo Damiani’s Visual Narrative of an Abandoned Brick Factory Just north of Kunming, the capital of Yunnan Province, a fading industrial … Read more
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