So after 20 odd days here, let’s get this party started, and what better place to start then at the beginning, day one.
Like most new cities I visit, I find the best way to get a feel for the culture and the people is by going to THE park in that city.
New York has Central Park, Tokyo has the area surrounding the Meiji Shrine (one park amongst many other amazing public spaces), and Dalian has Labour Park. It lacks nothing in comparison to the previous two, especially when it comes to the sense of awe and beauty it displays. But Labour Park has something that the others don’t. Labour Park also has an integrated amusement/theme park right in the heart of it all.
Without knowing it you walk from tranquil tree-lined paths into an area with hyperactive children running amok. On first glance it looks like a poor attempt at Disneyland, and to some extent it is, but it’s also so much more. The most popular ride by far is a ride where the “thrill seeker” has to power their “vehicle” around a set of tracks by pedalling it themselves, much like you would a bicycle. The kids loved it. The line was longer than any other ride. And why not, exercise and theme park rides, the best of both worlds really.
Next was a game where you throw hoops over cages to win prizes. The prizes in the cages that were up for grabs if successful, rabbits and turtles. The rabbits looked like they’d gone sometime since their last piece of lettuce, and the turtles were trying aimlessly to “swim” their way out of the cage. Note: there was no water anywhere near these poor little bastards, except for the nearby kiddies pool which was full of goldfish and surrounded by toddlers "fishing" .
And finally there was the ride where the parent and their child would sit in a rollercoaster like vehicle (motorised this time) and travel around a track. Simple and seemingly harmless. Except for the fact that each parent and child were holding guns. Guns that shot lasers. Guns that shot lasers at plastic Lions, Care Bears and Dinosaurs. Let that sink in a little yeah… they were shooting lasers at plastic Lions, Care Bears and Dinosaurs. Brilliant. I can only imagine that shooting things earned them points towards something. Maybe they’d win a rabbit or a turtle or a goldfish? Anyway, any ride without a gun is no longer fun in my book. As usual, pictures say it all…
