Suzhou Park’s Unsupervised ‘Adventure Trail’ Sparks Fears

On the eve of China’s week-long National Day holiday, an undercover investigation of the Yangcheng Peninsula Park in Suzhou found that its ‘Adventure Trail’ climbing course operates with no on-site supervision, relying instead on a sign telling visitors they assume all risk themselves. Multiple lawyers told The Paper that such a disclaimer is legally void, framing the arrangement as an operational-management defect at a flagship amusement venue expecting heavy holiday crowds.

A Trail With No One Watching

Reporters from The Paper entered the park as ordinary visitors (海合安苏州阳澄半岛乐园) and documented the ‘Adventure Trail’ (冒险小径), a climbing and crawling training attraction. At the site, they found no personnel on duty—only a notice board stating ‘no supervision, visitors bear their own risk’ (无人员监管、游玩风险自担). Several young children were observed using the equipment unattended.

The investigation also flagged hidden costs. Visitors wishing to enter the ‘Nailong themed area’ must wear anti-slip socks, either brought from home or purchased on-site for 10 yuan, but no notice appeared at park entry or on the ticket-purchase page. A photo-experience project separately charged an on-site 2-yuan ‘shoe cover fee.’ “These unexpected costs—are they spent transparently?” the reporters asked, framing the findings as a consumer-transparency problem as much as a safety one.

Lawyers: The Disclaimer Has No Legal Effect

In a follow-up report, The Paper reported that multiple lawyers consulted on the case said the posted notice has no legal effect (该提示在法律上无效力) and that the unsupervised arrangement constitutes an operational-management defect (经营管理缺陷).

The legal basis is well established. Under Article 1198 of China’s Civil Code, operators and managers of business premises and public places—including entertainment venues—owe a statutory safety-protection obligation (安全保障义务). That duty cannot be waived by contract terms or posted disclaimers.

Chinese courts have repeatedly upheld this principle. In July 2026, a Wuxi court heard a case in which a child was injured at an indoor playground whose membership contract contained a self-exculpatory clause. The court held that safety obligations are a statutory duty that cannot be waived by contract or posted notices, and apportioned 70% of liability to the operator for inadequate staffing, no patrols, and no surveillance—while assigning 30% to the guardian. A Xiamen court reached a similar conclusion in a June 2026 escape-room case.

A Troubled Property, Recently Revived

The safety questions land at a venue that has already weathered a turbulent decade. The park opened in 2018 as Hua Yi Brothers Movie World, a film-IP theme park built at a reported cost of 3.5 billion yuan (35亿元, roughly $490 million) and touted as a potential ‘China’s Universal Studios’ with 34 rides and 11 performance shows. It posted losses of about 134 million yuan in 2018, 162 million in 2019, and 92.76 million in 2020. By the end of 2024, a creditor had applied for its bankruptcy liquidation.

According to NetEase, the property was acquired through restructuring by Hahe’an Cultural Tourism (海合安文旅), a platform wholly owned by MBK Partners, one of Asia’s largest private-equity firms. After a renovation exceeding 100 million yuan, the renamed Suzhou Yangcheng Peninsula Park added the ‘Nailong Magic Time’ themed area, the immersive ‘Zhuangyuan Returns’ show, and a night-tourism system. During trial operation it drew more than 350,000 visitors, with revenue up 68% year-on-year and single-day peak traffic exceeding 20,000.

Hahe’an told Tencent News’ 贝果财经 that the Suzhou project is its first in the Yangtze River Delta, a region it called a high ground for cultural-tourism consumption. The company said it expects to reach profitability within two to three years and that the park sits on 460,000 square meters in the core of a national-level tourism resort.

Safety and Transparency Under Holiday Scrutiny

The disclosure of an unsupervised children’s attraction at a newly refurbished, heavily promoted park raises questions that extend beyond one slide or sign. Chinese amusement-ride regulations designate the operating party as the party of first responsibility for safety, requiring certified operators and pre-run inspections. A ‘risk self-borne’ notice does not transfer that duty.

If a child were injured on the trail, legal analysts note, the disclaimer would likely be void under Article 1198, leaving the operator—and potentially guardians—to share liability. The undisclosed sock requirement and shoe-cover fee also touch on price-transparency rules for consumer-facing venues.

The investigation is part of The Paper’s coordinated holiday-period probe into theme-park safety and fee practices across multiple cities, including a separate report on Ningbo’s Whale Journey Ocean Park. No public statement has yet been issued by the park operator or by Suzhou market-supervision and culture-tourism authorities.

What to Watch

With the National Day holiday in full swing and families flooding into amusement venues, two questions stand out: whether Suzhou’s culture-tourism or market-supervision bureau will open an investigation into the unsupervised trail, and whether the park will staff the attraction and disclose its ancillary fees before the holiday peak. The Wuxi ruling offers a clear signal—safety obligations are not optional, and a posted disclaimer will not shield operators when something goes wrong.