Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, canceling traveling plans and continuing to stay at home this May Day holiday is disappointing. But thankfully, some parks in town are offering fun events and ticket discounts. Due to safety concerns, the parks may check visitors’ temperatures and require them to present their ID cards or passports to register upon arrival.
Mission Hills Terra Art Ecological Park
From May 1 to June 22, Mission Hills Terra Art Ecological Park will hold an oil paper umbrella festival where visitors can “dress to the nines” and take photos with the decorative umbrellas. They can also paint on some umbrellas and take them home. It is generally believed that the best-made Chinese oil paper umbrellas come from the beautiful city of Hangzhou. With elegantly crafted materials and canopy designs, the light-weight oil paper umbrellas have long been a traditional Chinese export to the world. Ticketing information has not been announced yet. Follow the park’s WeChat account “MHEcoPark” for details.
Oil paper umbrellas at Mission Hills Terra Ecological Park. Courtesy of the park
Park open: 9 a.m.-6 p.m.
Venue: Mission Hills Terra Art Ecological Park, Longhua District (龙华区观澜湖大地生态艺术园)
Metro: Line 4 to Qinghu Station (清湖站), Exit A1 and then take a taxi
Window of the World
You may be tired of the routine dances and clown shows at the miniature park, Window of the World, but on this holiday from May 1 to 5, two fun events should not be missed.
One is the 15-minute roly-poly show underneath the “Eiffel Tower” at 10:30 a.m. and 1:45 p.m. every day. It is similar to the famous “roly-poly girl” show in Xi’an’s Great Tang All Day Mall, which went viral on Chinese social media last year. In the show, a dancer’s lower body is tied to a round iron frame with an iron belt around her waist. Dressed in a long costume to hide the contraption, the dancer uses her waist to make the apparatus move and rotate, and then the whole movements make her look like a roly-poly.
A dancer performs the roly-poly at Window of the World. Courtesy of the park
The other show is a glittering high-definition 3-D mapping projection called “Fantasy Europe” at 7:40 p.m. every night. In the play of light, music and optical illusions, a series of videos illustrating European history and culture will be projected on to the “Caesars Palace” facade.
Scenes from “Fantasy Europe” at Window of the World. Courtesy of the park
Park open: 10 a.m.-8 p.m.
Tickets: 220 yuan (entry before 7:30 p.m.), 100 yuan (entry after 7:30 p.m.), 110 yuan or free (children, seniors, soldiers and the disabled)
Venue: Window of the World, Nanshan District (南山区世界之窗)
Metro: Line 1 or 2 to Window of the World Station (世界之窗站), Exit H
Scan the QR code to buy tickets:
Splendid China • China Folk Culture Villages
Now ladies can make their face masks more stylish by covering them with a veil when they wear a traditional Chinese outfit. Splendid China • China Folk Culture Villages will hold a Chinese folk fair May 1-5, where visitors are invited to wear hanfu, the historical dress of the Han people up to the mid-17th century. Visitors can also take part in entertaining activities like playing cuju or pitch-pot. Cuju, an ancient Chinese game, is considered the earliest form of soccer. The game of pitch-pot (“touhu” in Chinese) involves throwing arrows, rods or darts into a receptacle.
Visitors wearing hanfu at Splendid China • China Folk Culture Villages. Courtesy of the park
The comprehensive park with 82 famous Chinese tourist attraction miniatures and 27 full-scale ethnic villages is offering discounted tickets of 88 yuan each (purchased before April 30 and valid until June 30).
Park open: 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Venue: Splendid China • China Folk Culture Villages, Nanshan District (南山区锦绣中华民俗村)
Metro: Line 1 to OCT Station (华侨城站), Exit D
Scan the QR code to buy tickets:
Happy Valley
Visitors who buy Happy Valley’s tickets before May 31 can enter the theme park twice before Dec. 31. The park’s annual pass card is now only 365 yuan (purchase before May 31) instead of its former 880 yuan for unlimited entries to the park within a year.
A scene at Happy Valley.
Park open: 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
Tickets: 220 yuan (adults), 120 yuan (children, seniors)
Venue: Happy Valley, Nanshan District (南山区欢乐谷)
Metro: Line 1 or 2 to Window of the World Station (世界之窗站), Exit A
Scan the miniapp code to buy tickets:
