Merry-go-round

In the past, Merry-go-round was a “Must ride” item for children at Lai Yuen Amusement Park (荔園遊樂場). The up-and-down wooden horses as they went did give a sense of riding to small children. Usually parents or grand-parents were standing beside the horses to safeguard their children or grandchildren from falling off.

The feeling of sitting on such horses turning round-and-round and up-and-down at the same time is not at all fun. After turning a number of rounds, a person may become dizzy or sick. I think the children sitting on the horses do feel the same. The game may turn them too excited to speak anything and they have to hold on the rails tightly.

Lai Yuen was gone for a number of years. That Merry-go-round was wiped off as well. Instead private buildings were erected from its site.

A shopping arcade at Ma On Shan has equipped with a smaller Merry-go-round for the customers to bring their children to play. Once the customers have accumulated their receipts of buying goods from its shops up to a certain amount of money, they are entitled a free ride. With this promotion, shops inside the arcade and the customers both benefit.