Lai Chi Kok Amusement Park

Coordinates: 22°20′33″N 114°08′13″E / 22.3425541°N 114.1369253°E / 22.3425541; 114.1369253
Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.

Lai Chi Kok Amusement Park
Coordinates
22°20′33″N 114°08′13″E / 22.3425541°N 114.1369253°E / 22.3425541; 114.1369253
StatusDefunct
Opened16 April 1949 (1949-04-16)
Closed31 March 1997
OwnerCheung Kwan On
Lai Chi Kok Amusement Park
Hanyu Pinyin
Lìyuán
Yue: Cantonese
Yale Romanizationlai6 yun2
Jyutpinglai6 jyun4

Lai Chi Kok Amusement Park was an amusement park on the west shore of Lai Chi Kok Bay in Lai Chi Kok, Hong Kong. It was once the largest amusement park in Hong Kong, and attracted people from all walks of life in the territory.

History

Operation

The park was originally opened by businessman Cheung Kwan On on 16 April 1949. In 1961, Deacon Chiu purchased the park and started improving it.[1] In 1976, the park started losing business to Ocean Park.

In 1995, the Ferris wheel was temporarily closed because engineers were dissatisfied with its condition.[2]

The admission fee started at 60 HK cents for both adult and child admission, but by 1997 it had risen to HK$12–$25. A monorail, which cost $13, let visitors get a view of the whole park.[3]

Features

Bumper cars

Rides & entertainment

The park featured theatres,

bumper cars, a carousel, distorted mirrors, a gondola, a coffee cup ride, ghost house, and a ding-dong boat.[3] Knife-throwing performances also attracted visitors. An ice rink was part of the winter display, which also included a Snow garden where snow was created for people who had never seen it in the hot climate of Hong Kong.[4]

Dinosaur displays

Some of the names of rides and stops include the

Fortune telling was also available at the park.[3] Beneath the restaurant was Hong Kong's largest wax museum at the time, featuring many leading figures from China's history.[3]

Performances

Cantonese opera and singing performances in the park nurtured TV and cantopop stars like Anita Mui.

Lai Chi Kok Zoo

Lai Chi Kok Zoo (

Guinness Book of World Records.[5]

Its star attraction was an Asian elephant Tino (or Tinnu) (天奴). While a baby, Tino was part of a circus and was given to the Zoo in 1958. It was the most popular animal in the 1950s to 1970s and suffered from pneumonia and was put down in February 1989.

After 1976, the zoo suffered from competition with the much larger

Hong Kong Government refusing import licences for new animals, it has since been redeveloped for residential purposes. Most of the remaining animals were sent to Xili Lake Wild Animal Park (now called Shenzhen Safari Park) in Shenzhen. Concern has subsequently been expressed about their welfare in view of criticism of the Safari Park's standards of animal care. The Saltwater crocodiles remained at the Park until it closed in 1997 and were then taken to Shek Kwu Chau
.

Closure

On 31 March 1997, the park was closed after the Hong Kong Government decided to use the land for residential public housing.[6] Many additional visitors came to the park as it was about to close, and there were 80,000 visitors on the last two days alone.[7] The animals from the zoo were sent to Shenzhen Safari Park in 1993.

In 1997, Regional Services Department curators spent months negotiating with Far East Hotels and Entertainment to buy the amusements from the closed park, with their historical value. Popular rides such as the Ferris wheel and the ding-dong boats were moved to

Burma
or demolished.

Renegotiation

In 2005, the owner Yau negotiated with the government to build a new amusement park on Lantau Island.[6] However no results have yet been achieved on this matter.

A new version of Lai Chi Kok Amusement Park opened in Central, Hong Kong Island on 26 June 2015. Being free of admission fee, some games are charged with game coins.

References

  1. ^ Kuen, Chan Mai (25 October 1995). "I am far from a Superman". thestandard.com.hk. The Standard HK. Archived from the original on 29 June 2011. Retrieved 10 October 2010.
  2. ^ Delfino, Brendan (9 November 1995). "Big boys get to play on fun ride". thestandard.com.hk. The Standard HK. Archived from the original on 4 June 2011. Retrieved 10 October 2010.
  3. ^ a b c d e Reber, Pat (21 February 1997). "Thrills and spills at Lai Chi Kok". thestandard.com.hk. The Standard HK. Archived from the original on 27 September 2012. Retrieved 10 October 2010.
  4. ^ Eng, Dennis (19 June 1996). "'Indoor refrigerator' brings a little winter wonderland to hot and humid Hong Kong ; Chill out at Snow Garden". thestandard.com.hk. The Standard HK. Archived from the original on 27 September 2012. Retrieved 10 October 2010.
  5. ^ Pun, Pamela (16 February 1996). "Amusement park welcomes snappy young guests". thestandard.com.hk. The Standard HK. Archived from the original on 27 September 2012. Retrieved 10 October 2010.
  6. ^ a b Lee, Mark (11 October 2005). "Lai Chi Kok Amusement Park firm eyes Lantau". thestandard.com.hk. The Standard HK. Archived from the original on 12 September 2012. Retrieved 10 October 2010.
  7. ^ Wai-yuk, Billy Wong (1 September 1997). "Amusement rides lost to Shanghai". thestandard.com.hk. The Standard HK. Archived from the original on 27 September 2012. Retrieved 10 October 2010.
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