After last year’s carnival on the Central Harbourfront, Lai Yuen returns again this summer, this time indoors at AsiaWorld-Expo. Lai Yuen offers a throw back to the Hong Kong of a generation ago when entertainment choices were more limited and kids found ways to amuse themselves.
Last year’s carnival was a throw back to simpler times and the concept if not the execution had much to recommend it, even if today’s “instant gratification” generation probably didn’t find it as much fun as the European Carnival. Lai Yuen 2015 had lots of problems the weather among them. The Central Harbourfront becomes a pond with the slightest rain and a sauna when the sun beats down as there’s little shade. The move indoors to the air-con of AsiaWorld-Expo looks to remove that problem in the hope that parents and kids will stay longer and spend more in the cool environment…
Which leads to Lai Yuen’s main problem, and it’s worse this year, it has zero atmosphere and there’s just nothing to do for anyone over the age of about 10. It’s hard to understand if this problem is generational or just the way Lai Yuen thinks. As a theme park Lai Yuen had little competition for people’s money and they really milked that unique niche, but at least it was fun. Today though, people want more and Lai Yuen comes across as cheap, offering little fun, value or reward for your hard-earned dollar.
As an example, but it’s far from unique, take Tino the throw a banana in the elephant’s mouth game that returns again this year. Two bananas cost $10. One banana in the mouth wins a 1 inch toy, two consecutive bananas an unattractive 5″ poor quality stuffed elephant. 4 consecutive (!) bananas a foot sized poor quality elephant. As with all the plushies at the few games the toys look cheap, tired and really not worth winning. Such a contrast to those at the recent Great European Carnival which were bright fun and desirable.
Last year’s carnival at least had a convenient location and Victoria Harbour as a backdrop. This year there’s nothing and no attempt made to create a fun vibrant experience of a day at an amusement park. It uses the Lai Yuen name and peoples faded memories of the fun they had there to get them to visit the ‘new Lai Yuen’ and then fleece them blind on their one visit. Why, because all in all even for parents with kids – and there’s nothing here for anyone else – there’s no reason to return it’s just boring with potentially long queues.
It’s a shame because with a different approach and mindset there’s surely a profitable market for a summer carnival market that combines nostalgia with modern technology to create a unique Hong Kong carnival. Sadly that’s not Lai Yuen 2016.
Lai Yuen 2016
Date: 10am-8pm, 16 July – 7 August, 2016
Venue: AsiaWorld-Expo
Tickets: $180, $140
More info:
$57 daily return MTR tickets are available
