bodyType

customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

hooksAmpRedirectArticle

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

paywallTypes

createdDate

publishedDate

urlAlias

moreOnThisArticles

sponsorType

commentCount

authorLocations

authors

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

articleSpeeches

socialHeadline

headline

images

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

sponsor

pdfFiles

seriesReverseOrder

series

disableOffPlatformContent

published

updatedDate

summary

subHeadline

body

keywords

readingTime

customTimezone

liveContents

Alan Yu

Before Hong Kong Disneyland and even Ocean Park, there was Lai Chi Kok Amusement Park.
When the park opened on the west side of Kowloon in 1949, it was advertised as "the first modern large-scale theme park in South China", according to the Heritage Museum.

It had a zoo with an elephant and tigers, a haunted house, Hong Kong's first ice-skating rink, a Ferris wheel and carnival games - including an iconic coin-tossing game where you could win a pack of chewing gum.
The old park, known colloquially as Lai Yuen, is part of the collective memory of Hongkongers of a certain age, including one in particular who has devoted his restaurant to memorabilia from the shuttered amusements.
The original park closed in 1997, but today a new generation will have the opportunity to take in its charms as an updated version opens for the summer on the Central harbourfront.
Duncan Chiu, the driving force behind the park's resurrection, is the son of late tycoon Deacon Chiu Te-ken, who bought Lai Chi Kok Amusement Park in 1962 and went on to own ATV and turn a rare profit for the broadcaster. Deacon Chiu died in March.
Now, Duncan Chiu, 40, is the chairman of Lai Yuen Amusement Park, the company behind the revived park, which is set to stay open until early September.

During the park's heyday in the 1960s and 70s, when people had fewer entertainment options, the park was a "must-go destination", Duncan Chiu said. One of its top attractions was Tino, the Burmese elephant, who was known for being smart and holding a grudge.
"A lot of Hongkongers remember him because he remembered people. If you did something mean, he'd retaliate … A lot of people would try to feed him trash or nails and he recognised those people and he'd calmly put his trunk in the river, get some water and spray them. A lot of people probably got sprayed."

Another favourite was the haunted house attraction. In an interview on DBC radio, Chiu said going to the haunted house was a rite of passage for children who grew up when the park was still open.
"The scariest part was at the end, where a fake hand would touch the top of your head. That's the part everyone remembers, but some people would want revenge, so they'd go back in and pull the hand down. That hand had to be replaced constantly, so in the end we just dangled a rope instead."
The old Lai Chi Kok park also had a musical theatre where, in 1967, a four-year-old Anita Mui Yim-fong performed, years before she become a global Canto-pop and film icon.
Patrick Ho Chi-ping, the former secretary for home affairs, recalled in a 2006 speech the park was where he saw his first Cantonese opera.
"I had no idea what was happening on stage, but seeing the characters come in and out with their colourful outfits amidst the sound of gongs felt really exciting at the time," he said.
A lot of other Hongkongers have their own fond memories of the park, but Kenji Chan Tsz-hin has gone beyond basking in simple nostalgia.
The 36-year-old restaurant owner likes the park so much that late last year, he renamed and redecorated his Sichuan restaurant in Jordan in the park's honour. It's now called Lai Yuen Amusement Restaurant.
He spent two months and about HK$500,000 redecorating his restaurant.

Thinking back, he said: "We were poor and didn't have as much to entertain us. Getting to go to a theme park like this once a year made us very happy."
When you walk in to his restaurant you'll be greeted by a replica of Tino the elephant. The cashier's stand looks like the counter for the coin-tossing carnival game with its red tiles.
There are carousel horses, tables that look like boats from the old park, and a VIP room decorated like the old haunted house, complete with the green woman's head that once adorned the door of the haunted house and scared Chan as a child.
The park ultimately closed, making way for a housing development, and Chan says he remembers those times too.

"Thinking back, it was quite a run-down place and the animal enclosures with the elephants and tigers were all quite smelly. But at the time we didn't have much, so it was very exotic to us."

Now, 18 years after Lai Yuen's closure, Duncan Chiu says it's time to revitalise some sense of the park.
"We thought that if we don't revive the park now and let a few more years pass, it would become an even more distant memory."


Hong Kong's first major theme park revived at Central harbourfront

Visitors stroll around the updated version of Lai Yuen Amusement Park at Central harbourfront. Photo: Nora Tam

Back in the 50s and 60s, Lai Chi Kok Amusement Park was a beloved entertainment destination for Hongkongers. Photo: Robin Lam

Tino the Burmese elephant was a star at the old park. Among other things, he was known for remembering which guests treated him well and which treated him badly. Photo: Chu Ming-hoi

The park closed in 1997 to make way for housing developments. It was partially demolished in 1998. Photo: Oliver Tsang

Tino the elephant died in 1989. Animals rights groups had criticized the zoo and park management for cruelty and mistreatment of their animals. Photo: Peter Tse

The "ding ding" boats (named because of the bell you could ring) were iconic attractions. Kenji Chan's restaurant has a seating area decorated like these boats. Photo: Oliver Tsang

News

Hong Kong

Education

It may have closed 18 years ago, but Lai Yuen has made a nostalgic reappearance - and a restaurant is keeping favourite attractions alive


Hong Kong's first major theme park revived at Central harbourfront

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}It may have closed 18 years ago, but Lai Yuen has made a nostalgic reappearance - and a restaurant is keeping favourite attractions alive

It may have closed 18 years ago, but Lai Yuen has made a nostalgic reappearance - and a restaurant is keeping favourite attractions alive