The direction of theme parks: from "spectators" to "participants"

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Invited by the gracious hospitality of the Chimelong Group, I had the opportunity to participate in its annual blockbuster event—the opening ceremony of the “Chimelong Happy Halloween Festival”, through which I glimpsed some new trends and possibilities in today’s cultural and tourism industry.

The event’s opening ceremony was ignited by a familiar face—Hong Kong TV King Mr. Lai Yiu Cheung. From the honest yet sly Marshal Zhu Bajie in “Journey to the West,” to the iconic line “How many decades do we have in life” and the awe-inspiring Chai Gau in “Rosy Business,” Lai’s presence wasn’t just simple celebrity endorsement, but more like an emotional bond that instantly brought together the collective memories of people from both Guangdong and Hong Kong. This clever arrangement set a warm and intimate tone for the entire event.

Upon entering the park, Chimelong’s “sincerity” was immediately apparent. This year, for the Halloween Festival, they made a bold move: bundling together five anime and gaming IPs that are extremely influential among the younger generation, including “Heaven Official’s Blessing,” “Link Click,” “Reverend Insanity,” “Onmyoji,” and “LifeAfter.” This is no longer a traditional Halloween event focused solely on scares, but a meticulously planned “themed immersive experience.” From the ancient charm of the “Chinese Illusion Realm,” to the metal and neon-filled “Punk Ghost City”; from the fairytale “Pumpkin Kingdom,” to the time-honored “Republic of China Underworld,” and then to the decrepit yet survival-driven “Apocalyptic Base,” Chimelong has practically crafted a miniature world for each IP. This approach of dividing areas by theme not only allows visitors with different interests to find a sense of belonging, but also deconstructs a large park into several “instances” that can be deeply explored, greatly enhancing the richness and layered feel of play.

However, what truly surprised me—and what I believe is worth emulating by Hong Kong’s cultural and tourism industry—was their deep understanding of “interaction.” Professional NPCs (non-player characters) could be seen everywhere in the park, becoming dynamic scenes in themselves. More than just actors in costumes, they are an integral part of the immersive experience. They would proactively talk to visitors, assign tasks, and even stage impromptu street performances. Coupled with Chimelong’s innovative “play ticket” interaction mode, visitors are no longer passive sightseers, but participants in the story. This high level of engagement fits perfectly with the psychological needs of Gen Z, who love checking in at hotspots and creating secondary content on social media. I saw countless young people excitedly interacting with NPCs, filming short videos, and the smiles on their faces were a result of genuine engagement and joy. This is not just a visit, but a large-scale offline social and content creation party.

From a theme park’s Halloween event, what I saw was a precise grasp of market trends, profound insight into the young consumer group, and, more importantly, a perfect example of successfully merging cultural IPs with physical entertainment. It proves that a successful themed event is never just a patchwork of different settings, but requires systematic construction from multiple dimensions such as emotional resonance, cultural core, and interactive experience. For Hong Kong, which is striving to promote the integration of culture, sports, and tourism and building a “mega-event economy,” this undoubtedly provides an extremely valuable reference. As a member of the Hong Kong Cultural, Sports, and Tourism Development Research Center, I often ponder how to turn Hong Kong’s “soft power” into sustainable economic and cultural drivers. The Chimelong case clearly shows that the success of a “mega-event” lies not only in quantity but even more in the depth of quality.

Hong Kong possesses a wealth of cultural memory—TVB-adapted, deeply ingrained Jin Yong martial arts dramas; the glorious era of Cantonese pop led by stars such as Alan Tam, Leslie Cheung, the Four Heavenly Kings, and countless other Hong Kong superstars of the 80s and 90s; and the cinematic aesthetics crafted by Hong Kong’s film industry and celebrities. These are all cultural treasures that help Hong Kong reach world-class standing. Could we, by learning from Chimelong’s approach, go beyond merely hosting exhibitions or concerts, and instead create immersive experiences where global travelers can "step in, have fun, and take memories away"? Imagine tourists stepping into a meticulously reconstructed space, personally entering the legendary, chivalrous world of “Kowloon Walled City.” These cultural symbols rooted in the fabric of our city are themselves the best scripts.

Chimelong’s model is essentially a victory of “IP curation.” It transforms intangible cultural content into tangible, consumable, and communicable experiential products. This requires cross-sector collaboration—cultural creators, tourism operators, technology enterprises, and marketing professionals must work closely together. This is precisely the concept advocated by the Cultural, Sports, and Tourism Development Research Center: breaking down industry barriers to create real chemical reactions among the three fields of culture, sports, and tourism. If Hong Kong wants to solidify its status as an “international center for cultural, sports, and tourism exchanges,” it must not only continue to introduce world-class events, but also look inward and systematically, experientially develop our unique cultural IPs. This will not only attract the new generation of travelers seeking in-depth experiences, but will also rejuvenate our own cultural stories in the context of a new era.

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