(23 February, 2012 – Hong Kong) Ocean Park will open its brand new attraction Old Hong Kong on 14 March to offer an edutaining experience of the city’s heritage and indulge the public’s appetite for classic delicacies. In anticipation of the nostalgic fever that the new attraction will inspire, Ocean Park has assembled an unprecedented array of some 70 types of street foods best loved by the local community to showcase the rich culinary heritage of Hong Kong. For the first time ever, Ocean Park is offering the traditional Feast of “Nine Big Bowls”, which was often served during festive occasions in Hong Kong from the 1950s to the 1970s. Park guests will not only enjoy great tastes, but also experience fine foods for common people in the old days and reminisce a bygone era. To further extend its commitment to green practices, Ocean Park has collaborated with Kee Wah Bakery to open the latter’s first nostalgic gift shop in Hong Kong, which will offer four exclusive eco-friendly gift packs featuring classic baked goods and snacks, bringing to life another unique aspect of local culture. In particular, the packing materials of “Dai Tat Dei” Premium Gift Set are specially made through innovative green technologies so as to promote traditional local baking culture along with environmental conservation. As a long-time supporter of local creative talents, Ocean Park also worked closely with Postgal, creator of popular local cartoon character Din-dong, to present a series of exclusive, Ocean Park-themed nostalgic merchandise so that guests can decorate their modern homes with vintage designs.
Joseph Leung, Ocean Park’s Executive Director of Revenue said, “Street foods such as cart noodles, stuffed triple treasures, siumai, fish balls, eggettes and Chinese herbal tea* have always been the favourites of locals and tourists alike. With the launch of Old Hong Kong, guests will be able to sample all these culinary delights in one location, saving them the time and hassle of crisscrossing through the city. Moreover, the historic ambiance of the attraction will enrich the overall dining experience. For our traditional feast of “Nine Big Bowls”, we use the simplest ingredients to create the most delicious dishes so as to bring to life the food culture of old and help revive the collective memories of Hong Kong people. We also used traditional ‘rooster bowls’ and old-style herbal tea boilers for enhanced authenticity so that the younger generation can learn about the value of history and cultural conservation while they enjoy fun and food.”
Rich in historical significance, the feast of “Nine Big Bowls” is prepared with the best ingredients.“Rooster bowls” are also an essential part of Chinese dining culture as food was often presented in bowls that feature painted fish and roosters, which make the simple meals of peasants seem more lavish. Among the items served in the feast are deep-fried fish balls, braised squid with pork skin and turnip, marinated chicken with shallot and sautéed crab meat with egg and vermicelli. As well, Ocean Park will for the first time offer the ever-popular Chinese herbal tea, a health-promoting drink that originated in Southern China and recognised in 2006 as an intangible cultural heritage. By presenting traditional foods and drinks in Old Hong Kong, Ocean Park hopes to introduce to guests traditional Chinese wisdom about health promotion and help the younger generation learn about local food culture and the importance of its conservation. In addition to local gourmet, guests can sample the curry dishes from various Southeast Asian regions, including Hainan, Thailand and the broader area that the Chinese identifies as “Nanyang”, as well as a wide range of beverages.
The Park has also collaborated with the legendary Kee Wah Bakery to open its first nostalgia-themed store in Hong Kong. The décor and product display of the outlet are designed by Cyrus Ho Kim Hung, art director of the blockbuster Shaolin Soccer, to recreate the look and feel of Kee Wah’s inaugural store in Shanghai in the 1940s. The first-ever collaboration between Ocean Park and Kee Wah Bakery also produced four styles of exclusive eco-friendly gift packs featuring vintage Hong Kong styles. The four gift packs are: Authentic Winter Melon Pastries with fillings made according to an ideal ratio of ingredients; Victoria Harbour Assorted Tea Cookies infused with the fragrances of four different teas; “Dai Tat Dei” Premium Gift Set, a collection of eight styles of classic baked goods, and “I Love HK” Assorted Snacks Suitcase, which comprises of eight types of crispy snacks. The four gift packs, exclusively available at Old Hong Kong, feature designs inspired by icons of mid-20th century Hong Kong, such as bamboo facade, leather suitcase and glazed wrapping paper. Offering unique collection value, these value gift packs are certain to become the new must-buy souvenirs for visitors to Hong Kong. The themed store will also offer freshly baked pastries, including delicate winter melon pastries, fragrant century-egg puffs, flaky egg tarts, mouth-watering barbecued pork puffs and crumbly chicken pies – all made by the most experienced bakers. Old Hong Kong is set to unleash a baked goods fever across the city.
Karlson Wong, Associate Director of Sales and Marketing of Kee Wah Bakery, said, “Kee Wah’s brand philosophy of ‘made in Hong Kong’ is a perfect match for Ocean Park, also known as Hong Kong’s People’s Park. We are proud to work with Ocean Park on a win-win situation through our new outlet, which benefits Park guests, local tourism and the gifts industry. Exclusively available at our Old Hong Kong location, the eco-friendly gift packs present our delectable treats, such as Chinese sweet crispies, egg rolls, ginger biscuits, walnut pastries, almond biscuits and wedding pastries, in packing materials specially made by Wing King Tong Group, using innovative low-carbon technologies such as recycled fibres, eco-friendly glue and natural printing ink. By making the packaging readily recyclable, we hope to enable consumers to help protect the environment when they purchase souvenirs unique to Hong Kong.”
Ocean Park has been committed to supporting local creativity and nurturing local talents. To complement the opening of Old Hong Kong, Ocean Park collaborated with Postgal, creator of popular local cartoon character Din-dong, to introduce six to eight exclusive gift items that bear Ocean Park’s themes, local culture and nostalgic elements, including limited-edition T-shirts and tote bags. Printed on the merchandise are Ocean Park’s mascots, animal ambassadors and unique features of Old Hong Kong, such as the tram and the “aeroplane olive”. These highly collectable items are available only within Ocean Park.
John Chan, Creative Director of Postgal, said, “Given our passion for all things local, we always incorporate into our creative work different Hong Kong elements, such as the tram and the ‘tong lou’. This time, we have used Old Hong Kong as a platform to design a variety of gift items that not only feel endearing, but also remind everyone to cherish aspects of Hong Kong that shaped our identity. Through these fun and playful items, we hope to promote the new attraction and Hong Kong culture to millions of Ocean Park guests and encourage more local talents to showcase their creativity.”
In addition to the Din-dong items, other new merchandise and booth game prizes also feature vintage touches. Taking reference from everyday items and toys from Hong Kong between the ’50s and the ’70s, Ocean Park has designed a multitude of innovative yet functional souvenirs, such as spittoon-styled pen pot; old-style lunar calendar memo book; matchbox stationery set; post box or stationery bag in the shape of an old-fashioned thermo flask; plush toys in the shape of an aeroplane-chess piece or an egg-tart; and many more#. The various souvenirs enable guests to take home the warmth of nostalgic sentiments after a fun visit to Old Hong Kong.
Shirley Louie, Ocean Park’s Retail Director, said, “We have created a variety of souvenirs for Old Hong Kong to bring to life truly unique aspects of local culture from a previous generation, taking reference from everyday items such as spittoons, gargle-mugs, washing basins, thermo flasks, traditional lunar calendars, matchboxes, old mail boxes, post boxes, aeroplane olives, aeroplane chess, preserved plums, Chinese bridal cakes and more. Both elegant and practical, these souvenirs best encapsulate for Park guests their fun times at Old Hong Kong.”
Quartet of Offers from Kee Wah X Ocean Park Mark Launch of Old Hong Kong:
To mark the grand opening of Old Hong Kong, Kee Wah Bakery and Ocean Park will introduce a range of discounts offers during the opening period:
· Receive a box of Kee Wah Panda cookies (worth HK$45) with the purchase of Old Hong Kong Nostalgic Series or any Kee Wah products at Kee Wah Old Hong Kong Gift Shop totalling HK$350 or more.
· Receive a cash coupon for Kee Wah Old Hong Kong Gift Shop by spending HK$350 or more at any restaurants in Ocean Park
· Receive a 10% discount on any purchase totalling HK$100 or above at any Kee Wah location in Hong Kong by presenting an Ocean Park admission ticket
· Receive a 10% discount on Ocean Park admission by spending HK$200 or more at any Kee Wah location in Hong Kong
*#Please refer to fact sheets for details on foods and merchandise items available at Old Hong Kong
