What can pieces of carton be used for? Well, Carton King Creativity Park (纸箱王创意主题园区) has the perfect answer to this question.
Started in 2007, Carton King now has 4 Creativity Park branches. The one we visited in Taichung’s Dakeng is the main branch.
The main entrance to the park sets the mood with paper tulips and a big paper replica of their signature steamboat set. Entrance fee to the park is charged at NT$200/person, while children below 100 cm get to enter free-of-charge. Each ticket comes with an NT$100 voucher which can be used to offset purchase at the retail shops and F&B outlets.
Not far from the entrance, we entered the Carton King Zoo. Here we got to see carton-made animals such as giraffes, lions, zebras and pigs. If you are impressed by the creativity behind these animals, you can check out the retail shops. Some of these carton-made animals are available for purchase as DIY kits.
Fancy attending class in Carton King’s classroom? Not to worry, I don’t think the tables and chairs will not give way midway through the lesson.
One of the must-try in Carton King Creativity Parks is the paper steamboat set at Carton Restaurant (纸箱餐厅), where we had our late lunch.
We tried this signature paper steamboat set at NT$420/set, which they claimed to be the world’s first. We got to choose the soup base (5 choices) and meat (pork/beef/lamb) for each set, which came with a drink and dessert. Each drink was served in a disposable cup within a small carton box. Afterwards, we got to bring the small carton box home as a souvenir coin box. The food did not have a wow factor but scored high on the novelty scale.
In case you are wondering how the paper steamboat is possible, the paper used is supposed to be able to withstand high temperature and there is a piece of stainless steel mesh at the base to maintain the shape. Do note that a minimum spend of NT$100 per person is required at the restaurant.
The furnishing within the restaurant is almost entirely made of carton-like material. Amazingly, the tables and chairs were so well-constructed that they were sturdy enough to take our weight. *chuckle*
There is also a cafe within the compound, Miss Coffee, if you just feel like having a drink.
Travel the world within the park. The park has its carton version of Leaning Tower of Pisa, Eiffel Tower, Big Ben and a windmill. The Leaning Tower of Pisa, standing at 3 floors high, is said to be the world’s tallest paper sculpture! We really admire the ingenuity behind the creations.
Collect stamps at different pit stops within the park to collect a free gift. The gift is seasonal in nature. We received a DIY paper house in a ‘Happy Chinese New Year’ envelope for our efforts (it was about a month away from Chinese New Year).
The retail shops within the park is worth a visit to check out the wide variety of carton/paper products they have, such as decorative lights, wall clocks, DIY models, puzzles and mobile phone covers. They have postcards mailing service too. 🙂
The premise is not big so it got pretty crowded during the evening peak. With a constant stream of visitors, photo-taking required a bit of patience. A place worth visiting to admire the creativity behind their use of humble carton board and paper.
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Read more about our trip itinerary and the other places we visited during the trip in Taiwan 2016 – Family Trip Itinerary.
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Useful information
Address: 406台中市北屯区東山路二段二巷二号 (No. 2, Lane 2, Section 2, Dongshan Road, Beitun District, Taichung City, Taiwan)
Operating Hours: 9:00am to 21:00pm （open year round)
Official Website: 纸箱王
The park organises DIY craft sessions for groups of 10 and above for a fee. Please refer to their official website for details.