Photo TR: Beijing Parks (Happy Valley and Others) 8/2019

[The Angry Darren Mullins]

August 2019: Beijing Parks

 

I spent a few days in Beijing a week ago and visited four parks there. The following is a rundown of each park.

 

Sun Park-I visited this park the evening I arrived in Beijing. Most rides had closed for the day, but some family rides were still open and this included two coasters that had been added since my last visit. Jungle Block is a family coaster with spinning cars and is intense. It is the second coaster of this type that I have experienced. After this, I found Happy Journey Cars,which was not on RCDB at the time. It is a kiddie coaster with spinning cars. I was almost too tall with the little metal canopy on top of the cars. It was an okay ride, but nothing special. It became coaster #502 for me to find before ACE or RCDB. By this time, the few rides that were open started to shut down for the evening, so I left the park.

 

Beijing Shijingshan Amusement Park-This park is in the western suburbs of Beijing and has it's own subway stop. This is the oldest park in Beijing and it shows. Many of the coasters that were here on my first visit have been removed. The Shenzhou Coaster SLC knockoff is still here, but the way the OTSRs are designed, it is impossible for anyone ever 6 feet tall to ride. I would love to try it even though I know it will be painful. Crazy Mouse replaced an identical unit in 2015 and is a fun ride. I also had planned to ride the Crazy Skateboard coaster here, but it was closed on my visit. There was one other coaster added. It is called Fruit Worm Coaster and adults are permitted to ride, so I took a spin (or 6) on it. After that, I went to pay my respect to the Space Trip coaster which is SBNO. I wish they would fix it or replace it with an identical unit. It is a fun ride. Afterwards, I left to head out for the second park of the day.

 

Qinglonghu Park-Qinglonghu is Chinese for Green Dragon Lake. This park is located southwest of Beijing and takes a while to get there by public transport. There is a small, but fun powered coaster here. The park itself is very nice and the rides are kept up. The only problems here were 1. the restrooms are wicked and 2. the bus stop is about a 30 minute walk away from the park entrance. Despite those issues, the park looks very nice and is a fun outing with the lake and the natural beauty of the mountains as a backdrop.

 

Happy Valley (Beijing)-This would be my last park of the trip. I wanted to ride the new coasters that had been added since my first visit nearly 10 years ago and to ride the SLC that was closed then. My first ride of the day was Flight Of The Himalayan Eagle Music Roller Coaster. This is a B&M "hyper coaster". At 164 feet tall, it is the bargain basement B&M. It is an okay ride, but I was not wowed by it. Meanwhile, in the the states, people are whining about Orion. Up next was Golden Wings In Snowfield, the Vekom SLC that was closed the last time. This ride was a little rough, but I enjoyed it and the ride crew was amazing. As I was walking out through the exit each time, the train was climbing the lift with the next trainload of riders. Most operations at this park are a bit slow, but this crew did a fantastic job. Family Inverted Coaster was next and had the longest wait of any coaster. I waited 90 minutes for it. It is like the one in Shanghai. It is okay, but I like the Vekoma family suspendeds better. Crystal Wing was next. This B&M was a bit painful in one spot. Many people seem to like B&Ms but I think Vekomas and Arrows age better. Jungle Racing is a Vekoma mine train and a lot of fun. There is so many trees surrounding the track that it actually feels like a trip through the jungle. This is much smoother than the Golden Horse knockoffs.

Extreme Rusher, an S&S creation was not open during my visit. In fact, during my encounters with B&M launched coasters, none of them have been open. Recently, National Public Radio published an article about S&S (and other companies) not doing business with Chinese parks due to the tariffs/trade war. Blaming Trump is an easy answer, but if you look at the history of foreign built rides in China, you will see that Chinese parks build a lot of Vekoma rides. Why? Perhaps it is because a factory in Guangdong manufactures Vekoma track. Also, I just mentioned that all of the S&S launched coasters I have encountered have been closed during my visits. In fact, the S&S launched launched coasters at Happy Valley in Beijing and Happy Valley in Shenzhen were SBNO for a while after they initially opened. Perhaps it isn't Trump at all. My comments on this issue are not meant to be about supporting or not supporting Donald Trump. I am just trying to offer my own perspective as to why S&S is not doing a lot of business here in China.

 

I have now ridden 1216 coasters and discovered 502 coasters before ACE or RCDB.

I started my park hopping in Beijing with Sun Park and Jungle Block.

Happy Journey Cars is a new ride here.

One ride was four circuits.

It is an odd ride.

The following morning, I went to Beijing Shijingshan Amusement Park.

Shenzhou Coaster is still open and has horrible restraints that prevents anyone over 5'7" to ride.

It was the first Chinese knockoff SLC.

A new fruit worm ride has been added since my last visit.

These are somewhat common.

It does not go through a giant apple like the others.

Adults are permitted to ride.

This is the centerpiece of the park.

Here is the carousel at Shijingshan.

A new flume has been added in recent years. It has reverser turntables.

Crazy Skateboard is a new coaster here.

It was not open today.

This mite mouse replaced an identical model.

I went to Qinglonghu (Green Dragon Lake) after I visited Shijingshan.

There are boat rides for visitors to enjoy.

A family flume ride is here too.

A little powered coaster is also here.

It is called Fruit Worm Coaster.

Here is another look at it.

Yes. Adults can ride too.

A couple of mornings later, I went to Happy Valley in Beijing.

A closed for the day Extreme Rusher greeted me upon entering the park.

Family Inverted Coaster is a recent addition.

It is like the one at Happy Valley in Shanghai.

The theming is great here.

Here is the gingerbread cookie carousel.

Jungle Racing is one of the best mine trains for scenery.

It is like racing through a jungle.

It is much smoother than the Golden Horse knockoffs.

Crystal Wing is still great fun.

I remember riding it almost 10 years ago.

Golden Wings In Snowfield is a great SLC. It is a little rough in a few spots, but still an enjoyable ride.

The crew running the ride was very efficient.

Flight of the Himalayan Eagle Music Roller Coaster is the new for 2019 ride.

At 164 feet tall, B&M calls it a hyper coaster...meanwhile back in the states, everyone is bitching about Orion not reaching 300 feet tall.

There are several spots for photos ops with this ride.

Here is the first turnaround on the ride.

Here is an action shot to finish the TR.

[thrillseeker4552]

Nice report. Do you have any more photos of the trains on the mini-B&M Hyper at Happy Valley? I can't find photos anywhere of the trains and from that one photo above, they look beautiful!

[The Angry Darren Mullins]

I do not have other photos of the trains but the lead car has the head of an eagle on it.

[CenturyFlyer]

From here on out, all Wacky Worms will be referred to as "Fruit Worm Coaster." Thanks for your views and pictures!