Construction on a Universal Studios theme park will begin in Beijing's east suburban district of Tongzhou this year, district director Yue Peng said in a work report.

The Beijing Universal Studios was approved by the National Development and Reform Commission in September 2014 and is expected to be completed in 2019.

The park, which covers 2.02 million square meters of floor space, is set to attract a total investment of 50 billion yuan (7.98 billion U.S. dollars).

The upcoming Universal Studios, the sixth of its kind in the world, will feature a Universal CityWalk retail-entertainment complex and the world's first Universal-themed resort hotel.

Chinese elements have been incorporated in the planning to boost the city's tourist appeal to foreign visitors, according to the culture and tourism administration bureau of the district.