Hong Kong’s Ngong Ping 360 to promote and play a role in coming Doraemon exhibition
- Cable car attraction will wrap some of its cabins with images of manga character, offer travel passes with promotional perks and memorabilia
Titled “100% Doraemon & Friends @ Ngong Ping 360”, the promotional cabins will be launched on Friday as part of a wider effort to boost the city’s tourism industry and attract more visitors from mainland China and Southeast Asia.
“To increase the awareness of international travellers of this event, Ngong Ping 360 has strengthened its promotions in mainland China and Southeast Asia,” managing director James Tung Pui-chen said on Thursday, pointing to its partnership with major shopping centres in the Greater Bay Area to launch promotional activities.
Tung said the company had also conducted briefings for tourism partners in the Philippines and introduced them to the Doraemon event, to attract more Filipino travellers to “experience the charm of Hong Kong”.
From Friday to September 1, some cable cars running between Tung Chung terminus and Ngong Ping, next to the Big Buddha statue on Lantau Island, will be decorated with images of the famous blue-and-white robot cat.
Exhibits of Doraemon and its gadgets such as the pink “anywhere door”, “time cloth” and “memory bread” will be installed in different parts of Ngong Ping, set against the backdrop of mountain and sea views for good photo opportunities.
A 2½-metre-tall globular “capsule machine” that dispenses memorabilia such as toys and stationery has also been placed at Stupa Square in Ngong Ping next to six Doraemon standees.
Ngong Ping 360 said it would launch a new pass allowing guests to enjoy unlimited cable car rides in standard cabins until November 30. Those who buy the pass will also receive one capsule machine token and a free snapshot at a Doraemon instant photo machine.
The pass will be available for purchase from Friday to July 31 for HK$360, and customers will get a 15 per cent discount if they buy three or more.
Lam Shu-kam, founder of AllRightsReserved, the art studio organising the world tour, said the collaboration with Ngong Ping 360 would create a “unique experience” for visitors and bring the exhibition to “different communities”.
The “100% Doraemon & Friends Tour” event starts on July 13 and a free-entry zone which had been scheduled to close on August 4 will be extended to August 11. The paid zone at K11 Musea in Tsim Sha Tsui will end on August 18.
The free-entry zone will feature the world’s tallest inflatable Doraemon figure at 12 metres in height, among other large sculptures.
There will also be an event on Avenue of Stars featuring Doraemon and other characters dressed in formal attire alongside anime-style models of 13 Hong Kong filmmakers on a “blue carpet” – a play on the film industry’s red carpet convention.
Lawmaker Doreen Kong Yuk-foon called on the government to support and promote successful events organised by commercial companies.
“It takes two hands to clap. When it comes to the success of a mega event, relying solely on the promotional efforts of a commercial organisation may have limitations,” Kong said.
“Government involvement and support can play a crucial role in attracting foreign tourists and enhancing the event’s visibility and impact.”
