First look at LEGO’s 2020 Chinese New Year Sets!
November 5, 2019
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Looking for the 2021 Chinese New Year sets?
Call this an early Christmas present, but LEGO have officially unveiled the 2020 Chinese Lunar New Year Sets – 80104 Lion Dance and 80105 Chinese New Year Temple Fair!
Read my review of 80104 Lion Dance for an in-depth look at the set!
The two new sets has a release date of 26 December 2019 in China and Asia Pacific, followed by a wider release worldwide on 10 January 2020.
Update: Both sets are now available in the United Kingdom! Now also available in the USA!
80104 Lion Dance will retail for : US$79.99 | AU$99.99 | £64.99 | €69.99
80105 Chinese New Year Temple Fair will retail for : US$119.99 | AU$149.99 | £89.99 | €99.99
These sets follows on from this year’s three fantastic sets that were a celebration of traditional Chinese culture and festivals.
It’s a little unclear, but I’ll be pleasantly surprised and delighted if it means both sets are priced the same, which makes the Temple Fair set look like incredible value.
It’s clear that judging from how well the sets were received, not just by those of Chinese descent, but all over the world that LEGO is not keen of repeating the mistake of the Chinese New Year sets being too difficult to get.
Let’s take a look at both sets:
80104 – Lion Dance (882 pieces)
I think I’m most excited by 80104 Lion Dance. Lion Dances are a form of traditional dance that’s mostly performed during the Chinese New Year, but also other times in the world when people want to celebrate an auspicious event.
If you live in a county with a significant Chinese population, you’d probably have seen one of these performances, which combine loud music with acrobatic feats by tandem dancer in these Lion costumes that mimic the movements of a mystical Chinese Lion.
These dances are traditionally performed to scare away evil spirits (aka bad juju), and welcome in auspicious spirits/prosperity.
These are really cool, and I love the attention to detail such as the inclusion of a cabbage/lettuce, which the Lions dance and “fight” each other for.
Also, here’s the little band included which provide the upbeat exciting music thanks to drums and clanging symbols.
Also included is a Rat Suit Minifigure, which is fitting since next year is the Chinese Year of the Rat!
Most of all, I love the designs of the Lions, and I love how poseable they are.
80105 – Chinese New Year Temple Fair (1664 pieces)
This massive set captures the sprawling temple grounds that hold a typical Spring/Chinese New Year fair, with stalls, food and people aplenty.
There are plenty of stalls included, which sell stuffed animals, pinwheels, and of course food. How cute are the panda bowls???
Along with food, there’s also entertainment such as a shadow theatre, and I also love the printed elements included with quotes of prosperity and peace.
Notice anyone familiar in the Temple Grounds? I’m so pumped that LEGO included the family from the Chinese New Year’s Eve Dinner in this set, which provides some cool continuity between the sets!
Both sets are meant to be combined, and make for an awesome, bustling and lively Chinese New Year outdoor scene.
I’m a massive fan of these sets, and it seems like LEGO have outdone themselves again. This is an instant, maybe multiple buy for me and I can’t wait to get my hands on them.
To see more of the sets in action, and to hear from the product designer Markus Rollbühler, be sure to watch the designer video. It’s really cool to see the lengths LEGO have gone to get all the little details right.
To relive some of the Chinese New Year sets from 2019, check out my reviews:
What do you think of the Chinese New Year sets? Let me know in the comments section!
