On the first day of the reopening to the public of the newly renovated children’s playground in Flora Garden it was raining but, nevertheless, parents took their children to the park, taking photos and videos of their children with their phones, describing their first visit to the new park as “nostalgic yet fresh”.
A father surnamed Lou said he and his daughter had passed by the gate a few weeks ago and had been looking forward to going to the playground when it was officially opened to the public to experience the newly renovated playground.
Lou also recalled his childhood, in the 1980s, when children liked to go to Flora Garden because there was little entertainment in the city at that time. As he spoke, Lou took out a picture of a rocker seesaw in the old Flora Garden playground, one of the “popular things” of his childhood, which he described as “nostalgic”.
A mother surnamed Sou said that her children were excited to have a new place to go, however, Sou was quick to add that they thought the opening hours were not long enough as they could only go on weekends and weekday evenings, and that there were many mosquitoes in the park at night.
A mother surnamed Choi, also agreed that the opening hours during weekdays were not “family-friendly” enough, as by the time it opens, which is at 6 p.m., children should be at home and ready for dinner, and off to bed afterwards.
The playground is open to the general public between 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. from Mondays to Fridays, between 1 p.m. and 10 p.m. on Saturdays, as well as between 8 a.m. and 10 p.m. on Sundays, public holidays, and the kindergarten’s other holidays.
A father, surnamed Hoi, said he hoped the government would consider building a playground for residents living in the S. Lourenço and Areia Preta districts, where there is a lack of park facilities and a high population density.
The playground in Flora Garden is surrounded by a children’s bicycle track, with a wooden house slide set and a beehive slide in the centre for children to slide, hide and climb, and the playground is covered with seamless safety mats. Near the entrance, there is a waiting area for parents to take a break from the sun and rain.
Details in English about the newly renovated playground’s facilities can be checked at: https://www.gov.mo/en/news/301713/.
This undated and pixelated file photo downloaded yesterday from a Facebook group shows the rocker seesaw in the old playground next to Flora Garden in the 80s. – Online source
This photo taken yesterday shows a father and son in the newly renovated playground. – Photo by Ginnie Liang
