Review: 80105 Chinese New Year Temple Fair
Posted by CapnRex101,Chinese New Year celebrations comprise varied traditions, including superb Temple Fairs where seasonal products are available for sale. Several vibrant stalls therefore populate 80105 Chinese New Year Temple Fair and are arranged around an impressive temple.
These structures display delightful architectural detail and some fascinating construction techniques. Furthermore, an outstanding selection of appealing elements are provided, including numerous printed tiles. The minifigures seem similarly excellent, maintaining the great standard established by previous sets in this range.
Minifigures
Several characters from 80101 Chinese New Year's Eve Dinner return here, featuring identical head components along with updated attire. In fact, the bespectacled head of this male minifigure has only otherwise appeared in the aforementioned 2019 set so its availability here is welcome. Moreover, this moulded scarf is brand new in red, thereby completing an impressive minifigure.
The female minifigure comprises no new pieces, although her medium nougat jacket and black hair element are both somewhat unusual. More traditional attire would have been wonderful, particularly following the earlier figure that featured a magnificent red dress, but this design looks good and new parts have been used effectively for other characters.
Two children accompany their parents. Once again, these minifigures consist primarily of existing components but they look superb. I am particularly satisfied with the boy's warm ushanka hat. This dual-moulded element has only appeared in four previous sets and looks nice, featuring remarkable textured detail. His dark azure torso is perfect too, although that design is relatively common.
Conversely, the female minifigure's double-sided head and hair piece were previously exclusive to 80101 Chinese New Year's Eve Dinner! I think they look lovely and the accompanying torso seems interesting too, having already appeared with white arms. This version with pink arms is unique and another red scarf is provided here as well.
Printed red envelopes are supplied with both minifigures. These elements were originally introduced with 80101 Chinese New Year's Eve Dinner and appear authentic, featuring Chinese characters that may be translated as 'fortune'. Red envelopes are traditionally distributed to young people on special occasions, containing money, so their inclusion here seems entirely appropriate.
While the parents and children are wearing relatively modern clothing, the grandparents feature more traditional dress. The grandfather sports a blue robe with intricate metallic silver decoration, although that become difficult to distinguish under particular light conditions. The surrounding flame yellowish orange band looks excellent though and the metallic gold highlights are equally appealing.
The grandmother's attire is less opulent but includes comparable detail. The creases across her robe and sash appear realistic and I like the muted sand blue colour scheme. These elements seem rather similar to several from The LEGO NINJAGO Movie and they would be equally appropriate there in my opinion. The double-sided head includes two similar smiles and both grandparents wear glasses.
Further to the family which previously appeared with 80101 Chinese New Year's Eve Dinner, official images suggest that another young family is visiting the temple fair. These two characters look great and I am particularly pleased to see an interesting torso from 70424 Ghost Train Express again. The banana motif is fun and the plaid shirt looks splendid too.
Another element returns from Hidden Side for the female minifigure, whose combined hat and hair component was originally created for Parker L. Jackson. Its sand blue and orange colour scheme is unique though and the double-sided head has only otherwise appeared in 60234 People Pack - Fun Fair. However, the legs on my minifigure feature visibly different shades of red which is disappointing. Hopefully such quality issues can be resolved.
An adorable baby completes this family! The teal bodysuit looks delightful and returns from 10263 Winter Village Fire Station, hence it includes a golden reindeer which is surrounded by snowflakes. Ideally, something exclusive would have been designed to reflect the Chinese New Year but I think this decoration is a reasonable compromise.
Several market stalls are included and their owners are nicely dressed. One character wears a bright red apron with the word 'barbecue' written in Chinese across the front. That decoration seems appropriate and the contrasting flame yellowish orange jacket underneath looks great too. However, this minifigure shares his head with another figure from 80104 Lion Dance. That is unfortunate as they might look odd if displayed together.
The same problem affects the second stall owner, although that is easily rectified by adding another head piece instead. His black hair component is nearly unique though, having been produced in this colour for 21316 The Flintstones. The red robe matches the grandfather's blue variant but includes a metallic gold pattern and the elegant trim does not continue onto his legs, unfortunately.
Recreating the bustling atmosphere of authentic temple fairs is important and three additional visitors are accordingly provided. These figures do not incorporate any exclusive parts but I like their differing attire. The first character wears an intricate blue jacket that looks fantastic, although he appears to be feeling unwell based upon his secondary expression.
Double-sided heads are absent from the final two minifigures. The distinctive hair pieces are perfect though and their respective orange and white hooded jackets both look marvellous. The mesh design on the inside of the orange hood appears impressive and the white torso is interesting too, having now remained in production throughout an entire decade!
The Completed Model
Several different prams and pushchairs have appeared in LEGO sets and this example looks brilliant. The angled design seems realistic and I like the colour scheme of blue and medium azure. However, the model does appear excessively large beside minifigures and posing them with the handlebars is difficult. However, this pushchair is perfectly designed for interaction with the baby.
Two attractive trees are also included, integrating dark brown trunk elements which create branches. This building technique is reminiscent of foliage from 70620 NINJAGO City and the resultant models look absolutely magnificent. I believe these are intended to represent cherry blossom trees given the striking contrast between their white leaves and dark branches, although pink foliage may have been more suitable to represent cherry blossom.
Nevertheless, these models are beautifully decorated with banners and lanterns alongside numerous red flowers. The larger banners read 'Happy New Year' while the smaller scrolls wish 'great luck' upon the viewer. Both components are printed and the red lantern, that originally represented pumpkins, has not appeared in this colour before. It looks lovely and the pearl gold tassel is a pleasing detail too.
Four market stalls are included and these are connected in pairs using strings of lights. The size and shape of each stall is relatively similar, comprising central covered structures with angled displays on either flank. The designs of adjoining stalls are suitably distinguished though as their roofs and predominant colours are quite different, as demonstrated below.
Various traditional foods are available from the first stall. These include barbecue skewers, candied hawthorn and four steamed buns which are decorated with animal faces. Such authentic details are extraordinary and I love how the candied hawthorn is designed too, comprising red flowers around reddish brown plant stems. Chicken drumsticks, biscuits and waffles also appear here, with the latter tiles returning from 75810 The Upside Down.
Each product display is attached to the central stall using hinges, allowing you to adjust their position with ease. However, they do not distract attention from the enclosed barbecue which looks wonderful, making effective use of dark red holders with bars to form its textured roof. The red signs with golden accents appear similarly attractive and read 'fortune' so match the red envelopes.
Limited space is available behind the barbecue but there is sufficient room for a minifigure, along with two skewers and some ingredients. The barbecue itself appears rather simple, including a printed dial beside a light bluish grey lever. However, the designer also placed a tiny flame beneath the grille. This feature is remarkable because it is almost completely hidden but such attention to detail is laudable.
The second market stall sells toys and appears appropriately colourful, featuring red, dark red, flame yellowish orange and black elements. Its shape resembles the food stall and the same linear actuator parts. The roof is interesting though and this model includes two different banners which read 'wishing you peace' and 'may your wealth blossom'.
Furthermore, the surrounding accessories look lovely. These include printed windmills, a brick-built aeroplane and several soft toys. The panda is especially fun and originally appeared with the Panda Guy Collectable Minifigure while the yellow duck has been available twice before. Balloons also adorn this market stall and I like the printed 1x1 tile on the counter, representing a calculator.
The ceramics stall exhibits familiar building techniques, corresponding with the toy stall. The angular roof is ingeniously constructed using teal 1x1 bows, faithfully recreating the glazed tubular tiles which often cover older Chinese buildings. The pearl gold details appear equally impressive and I appreciate the printed signage, although they partially obstruct the striking display of clay figurines.
Figurines of varying colours are provided, including orange and pink which have not been available until now. These elements are welcome and I love how the different ceramic vases are designed too. For example, one of the larger vases features an exclusive BB-8 body component without decoration while another includes the printed bowl that was produced for 80101 Chinese New Year's Eve Dinner last year.
Entirely different construction techniques comprise the final market stall. This shadow puppet theatre features an appealing combination of red and pearl gold pieces which contrast with the wooden base. The ornamental flowers look marvellous and I like the fireworks and gift boxes which are displayed on each side. An unusual metallic gold 1x1 quarter circle tile also adorns the stall.
Unfortunately, no light functions are included so this puppet theatre varies from the version in 70751 Temple of Airjitzu. The printed window at the centre looks excellent though, displaying two armoured warriors on horseback. Their helmets are rather distinctive and resemble those worn during the Ming dynasty. Two golden puppets are positioned behind the window and providing an external light source does project them against the window.
The strings of lights which connect pairs of market stalls are relatively simple but they look splendid. Red banners are suspended at the centre of each string and the lanterns on either side match those decorating the trees. Moreover, the smaller bulbs on each string are all different colours which seems remarkably effective in my opinion.
An impressive temple is placed among the market stalls, measuring 21cm in height and 25cm wide. The entire building is richly decorated and its vibrant colours distinguish this model from fictionalised Japanese designs within the NINJAGO range. Such colourful structures do appear throughout China, although natural wear from the outdoor environment generally softens their brighter tones.
Four colourful bushes are planted along the base of this temple. Green leaves are beautifully layered around components with six stems and the red flowers look nice. Furthermore, I appreciate the ornate balustrade above those plants, featuring white 1x2 ingots that are only otherwise available from 71707 Kai's Mech Jet. However, I think the texture formed by these ingots should continue consistently along the balustrade.
Numerous printed 1x2 and 1x4 tiles are situated above the terrace. The same elements are found in 80104 Lion Dance and they feature exceptionally intricate patterns, surpassing most other decorated pieces in that regard. In addition, teal 1x1 bows form beautiful scrollwork beneath the angled roof and two more lanterns are placed in front of the windows.
Assembling the roofs is somewhat repetitive but the result appears absolutely spectacular. I love the curved shape and the colour combination of flame yellowish orange, orange and pearl gold is superb. The red rafters underneath are attractive too and I like the golden dragons adorning the crested ridge. Printed 2x3 tiles are also fixed here, reading 'Chinese New Year Temple Fair' which seems appropriate.
However, turning the model around reveals no internal detail. That might disappoint some people but including an extensive interior would have adjusted the focus of the entire set, moving away from the eponymous temple fair which traditionally takes place outside. For that reason, I think the decision to focus detail upon the exterior was very sensible and the temple looks fantastic when viewed from the front.
Overall
LEGO has released five minifigure-scale sets which are inspired by traditional Chinese festivals and 80105 Chinese New Year Temple Fair is my favourite example. The level of detail and authenticity is almost unprecedented, exhibiting excellent attention to Chinese New Year celebrations and products that are associated with the seasonal temple fairs. I am delighted with the architecture too, extending beyond the temple and across the market.
Including such realistic details has entailed introducing many elements in new colours and exclusive printed parts, both of which could prove useful for other creations. The minifigure selection is equally pleasing and I think the price of £89.99 or $119.99 represents great value. For these reasons, I would have no hesitation in recommending 80105 Chinese New Year Temple Fair to any LEGO fan!
I hope you have found this review informative. Let us know by liking this article and share your opinion of the set in the comments below.
Our review of 80104 Lion Dance is available here.
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32 comments on this article
I'm really excited to add this to what is becoming a fantastic Lego City Chinatown.
This set is again, absolutely phenomenal... I just wish LEGO would put this amount of 'effort' into other themes, e.g. Star Wars, Marvel, Jurassic World. Why this set warrants such phenomenal mini figures and prints over some other licensed theme sets that collectors shell out crazy prices for only to get stickers is beyond me...
This is more of a Creator Expert set than anything else. Must buy, and have to hunt done the earlier ones.
Lego is making the sets more and more AFOL targeted every year. Could sound bad for a toy company, but the sets are increasingly good looking.
Great, detailed review.
Can I ask you how did you know the shirt said ‘Barbecue’ on it?
I love how this is the exact same family in different clothes from last year going to the Fair. That is SO COOL.
Completely share @Johnny__Thunder97 's views, why is that level of accuracy, details and thoughts not applied across themes?
This and the Lion Dance set are brilliant examples of what Lego is capable of producing and what can be done using bricks. They follow the excellence of the Dragon Dance and 80101 of last year.
Won't resist their appeal.
@blogzilly - There are some helpful websites which allow you to draw Chinese characters and they present the closest matches. From there, I used online translators. This would not be practical for translating longer sentences but works perfectly when translating relatively few characters.
Awesome, these two sets weren't on my list but if I manage to get a hold of them I will do a great mix with SW and the Ninjago Market.
Two of those red pumpkin parts also appear in https://brickset.com/sets/43182-1/Mulan-s-Training-Grounds .
I'm particularly impressed with the multiple number of printed and special molded parts included, especially the generous number of nanofigures!
@Johnny__Thunder97 said:
"This set is again, absolutely phenomenal... I just wish LEGO would put this amount of 'effort' into other themes, e.g. Star Wars, Marvel, Jurassic World. Why this set warrants such phenomenal mini figures and prints over some other licensed theme sets that collectors shell out crazy prices for only to get stickers is beyond me..."
China is LEGO’s fastest growing market and central to the company’s sales strategy.
That’s why.
Great looking set and great review. I might have to spring for this one now. I'm hoping that this and the Lion Dance sell well enough outside of the Asia market so that TLG re-releases 80101 and 80102 globally so that I can get my hands on them, too.
I picked this and the Lion Dance set up the morning it released and am glad I did as the Temple Fair is currently sold out. (I'm sure it will be back.) I Built the Lion Dance and it was phenominal. I am currently building the Temple Fair and am on bag 3. The level of detail is uncanny. And the printed pieces are awesome. There is no reason that Lego cannot go to all printed pieces like this. Maybe they are testing the market with these two sets? They need to release these sets worldwide all together. Forget this staggering stuff. These sets are more popular than many of the other sets they release. When are they going to get that? At least they wised up and are releasing them at all.
@Zander said:
"China is LEGO’s fastest growing market and central to the company’s sales strategy.
That’s why."
Yeah, I know, and I completely get it... In fact, I'm really excited to see such fantastic sets, even though they aren't 'aimed' at me exactly...
But it still just makes me feel a bit like I do when I flick on the tv and see an advert from some media company offering new customers the same tariff that I'm already on for a fraction of the price, when I've been a loyal customer for multiple years...
Again, it must be stressed this set contains NO STICKERS, which is phenomenal.
My building experience is always x100 times better when I don’t have to pull out the Windex, fiddle with a sticker until I think it’s straight and level, and then stress for the rest of the build that it isn’t.
This set kind of feels like a gift to Lego fans. It's pretty good value and the number of printed and exclusive pieces is insane.
I am willing to pay through the nose to obtain one of those red scarves; Mr Tumnus's neckerchief needs an upgrade.
Mine arrived today. Fun weekend ahead
On the back of the temple, there are 4 yellow 1x1 modified plates with snot studs. They don't seem to be necessary, unless they are meant to attach to something else. Any ideas?
I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm not really excited about the Chinese texts being prints and not stickers. I think it'd be awkward to have both Ninjago language and Chinese in my Ninjago city moc, among other reasons...
My favourite set for a very long time, I'm so glad I grabbed this and can't wait to get the Lion Dance. I've already been working on a Chinatown for a while, I may need to redo the scale of it to fit this set in but this beauty is worth it!
@woosterlegos said:
"On the back of the temple, there are 4 yellow 1x1 modified plates with snot studs. They don't seem to be necessary, unless they are meant to attach to something else. Any ideas?"
The windows above are built sideways so the brackets are to prevent the windows from being pushed backwards.
@ArcticPine said:
"I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm not really excited about the Chinese texts being prints and not stickers. I think it'd be awkward to have both Ninjago language and Chinese in my Ninjago city moc, among other reasons..."
If you're that pedantic then put stickers over the Chinese characters, or use rubbing alcohol to remove them, or swap the parts with blank pieces, or come up with an in-universe reason why your Ninjago City has a Chinese temple. That last one shouldn't be too hard - in Japan they use three separate alphabets, as well as English, in general signage. SMDH
Absolutely loving this set
Thanks for the detailed review!
I'm from a place that celebrates Chinese New Year, and I guess the trees are supposed to represent plum trees which blossom during this time of year, instead of cheery trees which blossom in Mar-Apr.
This review made me buy it :) Good job guys !
This set and the likes would be so much better with a good old base-plate or two.
Can't wait til this is back in stock. Must buy.
I definitely want this one but at that price I need a good incentive like double points & an awesome GWP plus the set to even be available for purchase.
I’m sure I missed this somewhere, but are the Chinese New Year sets a Lego store exclusive? Or can you buy them elsewhere?
@iriz
“This set and the likes would be so much better with a good old base-plate or two.”
I see your point, though I personally enjoy the opportunity to create my own environment out of smaller vignettes. Though I admit on this I’m not sure where to turn for accurate reference about the surrounding area, particularly the type of ground this might be on. But once I find it I’m going to have a lot of fun MOCing something together.
But the cohesion offered when something is connected and feels like a ‘set’ does have appeal for sure.
@CapnRex101, As I am in Singapore (using VPN, so says I’m in USA right now) my Chinese GF would be happy to translate anything you need, going forward.
I really do enjoy these sets. While I’m sure many LEGO fans in the West love them as well. Honestly, if I hadn’t been living in SEA the past 11+ years, I am not sure I’d appreciate them as much as we do. It’s a great way for she and I to connect through LEGO, as she isn’t too fond of my Star Wars collection. Though she loved the XMas-Wing.
Gong Xi Fa Cai!
Almost bought but bought the at st raider instead