It was July 2003, and screams of excitement hung over the hot summer night in Shanghai along the banks of the Huangpu River. It was the joy brought by the 120-year-old World Carnival.
Happiness Explains Why
"Have you tried the 'Revolution'?" "How many Winnie the bears have you won?" Youngsters in Shanghai talk about things like this in bars or on subways. New concepts introduced by World Carnival, an amusement park facilitated with the most state-of-the-art equipment, have today entered the world of Shanghai's young people, and have attracted people like a magnet from both Shanghai and its surrounding areas.
There is nothing you can do to escape the screams from the amusement park once you approach the Oriental Pearl TV Tower. It's not surprising to see passersby's smiling faces and cute toys in their hands.
World Carnival has established 39 world-class recreational rides and games in Shanghai, including Mega Drop, Force, Evolution, Top Buzz, and Hell Raiser. Most visitors prefer the dangerous games and rides, and it usually takes an hour or so to get on Force, the most exciting ride.
"Adventure is what I want here," says a young man, looking pale and sweaty, who had just finished a game called Frisbee. "I'm happy anyway, and I'm going to try all the rides and games here!"
Among the games, there are 57 that give out prizes. These prizes are hung over the most eye-catching places and include hairy toys, cute and brightly colored. These toys are made especially for World Carnival, and they are different for each game.
Although games are played for fun, the winners are undoubtedly happy to walk away with their "trophies". There are also winners who want to give their prizes, a Bear, Panda, or Crocodile, to their family members or friends to make them happy. A young man was probably not expecting a kiss from his girlfriend when he gave her the hairy Tiger he had won.
Priceless Happiness
Although not highly artistic, World Carnival provides what modern people desire. Under the high pressure of work, the people of metropolises can't afford a break or a holiday. It's thus a dream for young fun seekers to enjoy a couple of relaxing and joyful hours. World Carnival gives Shanghai's people a good reason to escape from everyday stress.
As one of the three world-famous recreational brands, World Carnival has not only made people happy, but has also made a big financial profit.
"Shanghai is a big metropolis with a fast-growing economy and a fashionable way of life," remarks Mr. Hans Lodders, managing president of the Dutch company World Carnival. "That's why we've chosen to make people happy while making money."
World Carnival was fully prepared to target the market in Shanghai. It underwent three months of campaigns introducing its recreational activities to arouse the interest of its customers. After a thorough survey of the market in Shanghai, with respect to population, economic standard, consumption level, and geographical location, the company designed its facilities for adventurers, family members, and children. According to Mr. Lodders, "Everyone from the ages of 6 to 90 can find his or her favorite games,". What is even more attractive about the venture is that the majority of the facilities installed in Shanghai are brand-new products, which can only be found very few places in the world. This makes Shanghai entertainment goers feel like they are experiencing a "one of the kind" thrill.
Facts prove the company's far-sightedness. Within one month, the number of visitors to the amusement park topped 50,000, with at least 10,000 people visiting the park a day. When it was too crowded, the organizers had to limit the number of game players. If a visitor plays three or four games, it costs 80 to 100 yuan, which brings World Carnival a minimum of 150 million yuan in revenue. How can one say no to a wonderful world consisting of 39 sophisticated recreational rides and 57 games with prizes to give away, when it costs only 100 yuan?
While World Carnival counts its money, another two recreational companies can't wait to occupy the market in Shanghai. Universal is speeding up to start business in Shanghai, and Disney is trying hard to establish an amusement park in Hong Kong, then turning its focus to Beijing and Shanghai.
As World Carnival calculates its profits, the Chinese people are enjoying happy hours at the park, which can't be measured by money.
(China Pictorial September 24, 2003)
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