The firework show.

There are few better ways to experience Hainan's energy than during the annual Hainan International Tourism Island Carnival, and this year's opening certainly lived up to its reputation.

I visited the opening day of the 27th Hainan International Tourism Island Carnival at Hainan Changying Wonderland in Haikou’s Xiuying District together with my young son. The weather turned out to be ideal for a midsummer outing: warm but pleasantly overcast, sparing visitors from the intense July sunshine. Many people in Hainan will remember the park by its former name, Universal 100, but fewer realize that it has undergone a major transformation. Under new management since 2025, the once semi-abandoned amusement park has been reborn as Hainan Changying Wonderland, and it is steadily attracting visitors once again.

Visitors pose for photos in the park.

A newly opened café in the park.

Outside major festivals and holiday periods, it is a surprisingly peaceful place to spend an afternoon. Visitors can stroll past medieval-style castles, a towering pirate ship, the lakeside promenade, open meadows and striking modern architecture, immersing themselves in an atmosphere that feels worlds away from downtown Haikou. The park offers dozens of attractions, many of them included with admission, while its cinema screens the latest movies at very affordable prices throughout the year. My family visits regularly the park because we purchased an annual family pass, which lets us enter simply by scanning our faces. Quite often we come without any particular plan—just for a leisurely walk, to watch a movie or to let the children burn off some energy on the rides.

The medieval castle.

The park’s cinema.

My children's favourites are the classic carousel, the bumper cars, the Secret Agent laser challenge, the roller coaster, the mirror maze and the shooting gallery. There is plenty more to explore as well, from an immersive pirate-themed multisensory voyage and a haunted house to adrenaline-filled rides reserved for visitors far braver than I am. Food stalls serving local snacks, cafés and restaurants are scattered throughout the park, making it easy to spend an entire day there. Whether you're travelling with young children, thrill-seekers or simply looking for a relaxing place to wander, Changying Wonderland offers something for almost everyone.

People paddleboarding on the lake.

The carnival, running from July 18 to August 18, transforms Changying Wonderland into a giant summer playground. This year's edition features more than 50 activities across Hainan's 18 cities and counties, while the main venue offers everything from immersive light shows and amusement rides to food markets like the “Hi-Beer Summer Night Food Carnival”, pet-friendly activities like the “Pet Paradise” area, interactive NPC performances and parades. We happily spent several hours wandering through the venue. We watched an entertaining 4D short film, tried a few carnival games, browsed the bustling food stalls and, of course, stopped by the famous pink Laobacha bus parked on the lawn. Families lounged on the grass, children ran between attractions, and visitors sampled everything from Hainan specialties to refreshing summer drinks. On the lake, paddleboarding is also available at a very affordable price.

The Laobacha bus.

One of the highlights of the afternoon was the parade. Alongside Chinese performers showcasing traditional culture, a troupe of international artists danced for the audience adding another layer to the carnival's global atmosphere—an appreciated touch for an event that aims to welcome visitors from around the world.

The entertainment lineup is undeniably impressive. The park debuts a spectacular water-and-light production, stages daily parades blending Hainan's intangible cultural heritage with folk performances from across China, and presents large-scale drone and fireworks shows after dark. More than 30 amusement rides operate throughout the day and evening, while food lovers can explore dozens of vendors spread across several themed dining zones.

Performers at the parade.

As afternoon turned into evening, however, the atmosphere changed dramatically. Once the parade began, spectators gradually packed both sides of the route. By the time the official opening ceremony started beside the lake, the crowd had grown so dense that it became virtually impossible for many people to see the stage. Safety barriers around the waterfront further limited visibility, and moving through the crowd became increasingly difficult. Fortunately, I had attended the full dress rehearsal the previous evening, when my family and I were able to watch the performances from the lakeside under much more comfortable conditions. Seeing the beautifully choreographed water show, the synchronized drone formations and the fireworks reflected across the lake was genuinely moving. The production values were outstanding and demonstrated just how ambitious this year's carnival has become.

Food stalls at the event.

During the event I spoke with several visitors. Francesco, an Italian visitor who had travelled with his family from nearby Wenchang specifically for the opening, described the atmosphere with a word familiar to anyone living in China. "It's very renao, we are enjoying it a lot" he laughed, using the Chinese expression for a lively, bustling atmosphere. Another visitor, Freya Wang from Henan Province, had also made the trip from the other side of the city to experience the opening ceremony. "Life in Hainan is wonderful for children," she said. "The pace of life and the environment are completely different from anywhere else and this kind of activity is very attractive for many people." Yet when I asked people a simple question—"How was the opening ceremony?"—the most common answer came in a single word: "Crowded." One interviewee told me: "We had to leave because we started feeling faint in the heat of the crowd."

In fact, my son and I eventually made the same decision. Once it became clear that the queues for the rides were growing longer and that it would be nearly impossible to watch the stage performances, we decided it was time to head home.

Crowd heads to the lakeside for the evening performance.

Transportation also proved challenging. On the same day at noon, when I first attempted to visit the venue, I spent so long searching for parking that I eventually had to leave. Even after finally locating a space, police informed me that parking was temporarily prohibited in the area during the opening ceremony, forcing me to turn around and drive away. The venue however offers buses to and from the park and on less busy days usually parking is not a problem at all.

Free admission, offered equally to Chinese and international visitors, has undoubtedly made the event enormously popular. That accessibility is one of the carnival's greatest strengths, allowing families, tourists and residents to enjoy world-class performances without an admission fee. At the same time, the overwhelming turnout also highlights the importance of careful crowd management around major performances and popular attractions. None of this diminishes the quality of what Changying Wonderland has created. The artistic performances and night shows (available in the weekend) are first-rate and genuinely breathtaking, and the combination of Hainan culture with international participation gives the carnival a distinctive character.

For visitors considering a trip, my recommendation would simply be to choose the timing wisely. The opening ceremony naturally attracts enormous crowds, but the carnival continues for an entire month. Visiting on another evening allows guests to fully appreciate the park, enjoy the food, experience the rides, and watch the nightly performances in a far more relaxed atmosphere. All in all, we left the park exhausted but happy, my son proudly clutching a bag of goodies he had won participating in a few games and challenges. Like a phoenix, Hainan Changying Wonderland seems to have officially been reborn and is waiting for Hainan’s community to rediscover it with their own eyes.