Giant robots get ready for face-off in Beijing
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47-tonne horse with fire-breathing dragon's head will battle 37-tonne mechanical spider to mark 50 years of Sino-French ties
A giant robotic horse with a menacing, smoke-breathing dragon’s head will fight a 37-tonne mechanical spider in Beijing’s Olympic Park this weekend.
The two colossal creatures will stage their China debut by waging war on the avenue facing the National Stadium, which is also known as the Bird’s Nest.
The 47-tonne yellow creature, whose name, Long Ma, combines the Chinese words for “dragon” and “horse”, will tussle with an enormous arachnid named La Princesse.
Long Ma can exhale smoke and mist, move its head, lift its legs and stand on its full weight – roughly equal to that of eight elephants. The spider will be hoisted high into the air during combat.
“We won’t have fixed scenarios, but rather will operate the giants in response to audiences’ reactions,” says Francois Delaroziere, art director of the French company La Machine, which created the dragon last year.
The hope is to surprise Chinese viewers, he explains.
The show is part of the celebration of the 50th anniversary of Sino-French diplomatic relations, says Li Danyang, general manager of the performance’s organiser, Gehua Culture Development Group.
France designed Long Ma as a gift for the Chinese people, Li says.
The concept was developed two years ago, and a draft was presented to President Xi Jinping when he visited France in March.
Delaroziere says the company took inspiration from the Chinese phrase longma jingshen, or “the spirit of the dragon and the horse”. It’s intended to praise Chinese people’s constant quest for self-improvement.
The adage complements Xi’s declaration of the Chinese dream, Li explains.
La Machine sent 80 staff members to Beijing, and Gehua will create a team of about 100 performers, including actors, singers and an orchestra.
The mechanical spider was first shipped to Tianjin and then moved to Beijing at the beginning of September. The 15-metre-high dragon was sent directly to Beijing in an Antonov, the world’s second-largest transport aircraft model.
The dragon will be moved by 15 operators and the show will include 17 types of construction equipment.
Viewers can get close to the two giants, who are the first of their kind in China, construction equipment team leader Qin Tao says.
They’ll “rest” on Friday, after their long journey. Visitors can hear them snore. They’ll fight the next day.
The creatures will spar for an hour and a half eight times during the period. The show is free.
On Sunday, the brutes will resolve their differences and forge a friendship.
But, alas, the spider – which has been an international sensation since its 2008 debut in Liverpool – will leave China afterward. Long Ma will remain in the Beijing Culture Free Port.
Long-term management of Long Ma and possible tours are unclear, Gehua’s general manager Li says.
But in the short term, viewers are promised a truly tremendous creature feature.
