LEGO 71799 NINJAGO® City Markets : Part One – The City Markets [Review]

If we review the LEGO 71799 NINJAGO® City Markets set, we have to start from the beginning. The story of the LEGO Ninjago series began in 2011, and initially, LEGO Group intended to end this product line in the first half of 2013. The original plan was to produce this line for only two and a half years.

However, as everyone has seen, since its launch, it has gained the love and positive market feedback from numerous fans, which has made this theme series last for 12 years. During this period, hundreds of excellent set products and 17 seasons of original animated stories were born. In this way, the Ninjago theme series has become one of the most famous and long-lasting original themes of the LEGO Group.

With the release of "The LEGO Ninjago Movie" in 2017, the LEGO Group introduced a new modular building design approach. They combined Japanese nostalgia and cyberpunk architectural styles, drawing inspiration from the vast world and background of the Ninjago movie and animated stories. They used unique parts gathered from various theme series to create the 70620 Ninjago City set.

This enormous set combines aesthetics and interactive playability, bringing a fresh appearance and more gameplay to the Ninjago theme. It also brings LEGO fans a brand-new building experience, showing that LEGO bricks can be used in such a way.

Following the 70620 Ninjago City in 2017, the LEGO Group continued the design style of this set and released the 70657 Ninjago City Docks and 71741 Ninjago City Gardens in 2018 and 2021 respectively, turning this style of set into a series of products just like the LEGO modular street scene sets.

Now let's turn our attention to today's protagonist. On May 9th, the LEGO Group announced the fourth modular building set of this series, the 71799 Ninjago City Gardens. In this model, LEGO designers have used the same building specifications that can be combined with the previous three sets. They continue the bold and innovative design approach of the previous works, incorporating a large number of impressive building techniques, novel interactive designs, exciting story interactions, and rich tribute Easter eggs.

It is worth mentioning that the latest 71799 Ninjago City Gardens set is the largest in terms of the number of parts, the footprint area, and the official price among all LEGO Ninjago theme sets. The set contains 6,163 pieces and 21 minifigures. The fully assembled building model has a width of 25cm, a height of 46cm, and an astonishing length of 51cm. All these parameters indicate that this set is unparalleled, and we can only continue to look forward to future releases.

However, despite being such a large set, it is priced at RMB 2,999 in China, which is somewhat inconsistent with the rising trend of LEGO set prices in the past two years compared to the RMB 2,799 price of the 70620 Ninjago City set with 4,867 pieces in 2017.

The set will be officially launched on June 1, 2023. Today, before the official release of this set, Cool Toys Trend will bring you a detailed unboxing and review article of the 71799 NINJAGO City Markets, exploring various fantastic details in the markets.

Since there is a lot of content in the set, we have divided the review into three parts: the building section, the minifigure section, and the Easter egg section. Today, we will present the building section first, and we will update the following content gradually.

Packaging and Contents

The front of the LEGO 71799 set box features a grand photo of the NINJAGO City Markets. At the bottom, the images of the 21 minifigures included in the set are listed, with their names conveniently labeled. Apart from not indicating the number of pieces, this gigantic set has an odd feature of not being labeled as 18+ like other large sets. Instead, it is labeled as 14+, similar to the Ninjago City Gardens set. It seems that the 18+ age labeling is more of a marketing strategy rather than a reflection of the actual difficulty level of the set.

The back of the box displays the disassembled layers of the NINJAGO City Markets building, with detailed images of specific areas and diagrams of movable mechanisms. From the images, we can see that the buildings in the city include shops, a bakery, apartments, Sushimi Sushi Shop, and a karaoke club, among others. There are also interactive features such as a functioning cable car, a flushing toilet, and a working elevator, incorporating small mechanical designs.

Even without assembling the set, we can understand that the building is divided into four levels. Some building modules have an upward-opening layer structure, while some rooms have a side-opening structure resembling drawers. As a modular building set series, it wouldn't be complete without a "teaser" suggesting that fans can connect the NINJAGO City Markets set with the 71741 Ninjago City Gardens set.

The parts bags inside the packaging are divided into two parts. One set of parts bags, along with the instruction manual and sticker sheet, is placed inside a white inner box used to support the packaging. The other set of parts bags is directly placed in the remaining space of the larger box. After taking inventory, all the parts are divided into 51 different numbered bags, with each bag containing one set of parts. There is also an unnumbered bag of additional parts, which contains large-sized universal parts. Additionally, there are two dark gray 32x32 thin baseplates.

The first instruction manual corresponds to bags 1-19, guiding the assembly of the 32x32 module on the left side of the city gardens. The second instruction manual corresponds to bags 20-33, guiding the assembly of the 32x32 module on the right side of the city gardens and the steps to combine the left and right modules. The third instruction manual corresponds to bags 34-51, continuing the building process based on the foundation established by the first two manuals, expanding the height of the building.

The practice of having only one bag per numbered set of parts is worthy of praise as it saves players from the frustration of searching for matching bags. The instruction manuals are thick with three volumes, but it doesn't mean that three people can assemble the set simultaneously. However, if you want to share the building experience with friends or family, it is possible for a maximum of two people to simultaneously assemble the content of the first and second instruction manuals.

LEGO 71799 NINJAGO City Markets continues the design style of its predecessor and also maintains a high number of stickers. This set contains a total of 70 numbered stickers, densely packed, divided into three large sheets, with the smallest one having a transparent background.

Rather than calling them densely packed stickers, it's more like a treasure trove of Easter eggs. Similar to the previous Ninjago City set, some stickers reference plotlines and characters from the Ninjago animated series, while others pay homage to LEGO's past theme series and sets.

Here's a little secret: the entire design inspiration for LEGO Ninjago City originated from a MOC (My Own Creation) displayed at the 2013 Brick World exhibition, titled "Cyberpunk Metropolis."

Starting the Build

First Instruction Manual

The building process officially begins with the first instruction manual. Using bags 1-19, it assembles the foundational structures and three levels of the buildings on the left side of the city markets, up to the cable car station.

Bags 1 and 2 construct the bottom foundation framework for the left half of the market buildings. The framework utilizes a large number of mechanical connectors and axles to enhance the stability of the bottom structure. It also outlines the layout and dimensions of the structures above. Additionally, two upright dark gray 3L Technic liftarm are positioned at the front and rear of the framework.

Apart from constructing the building foundation, the remaining space on the dark gray baseplate is filled with green, dark green, and black plate pieces. Similar to the water surface treatment in the previous three Ninja City sets, this is to provide a base color for the water. Different colored plate pieces beneath the water surface on the same plane effectively depict varying depths of the water.

Bags 3 and 4 contain numerous light gray plate pieces, covering the previously built foundation and concealing the internal framework, creating a gray ground effect. The two 3L Technic pinholes reserved earlier are missing one pin. We'll address the connection of these two columns later.

Next, we start laying light blue transparent tile pieces around the edges to create the water surface. Two lotus flowers are also assembled on the front-facing water surface. Above the central water area, there is an inconspicuous water channel. The middle part of the ground on the left bank reserves the installation space for the upper-level building and is surrounded by a circle of brown ingot pieces. There is also a sunken area reserved inside. At the bottom, a small step with a pearl gold handrail is built.

Next, with bag 5, we begin constructing the first building module, a Japanese-style wooden bakery. However, the current bakery is only a framework with three exterior walls. It is here that we apply the first sticker that people both love and hate—the bakery sign next to the sales window. On the other side, there is a sticker featuring Master Wu riding a golden dragon.

This sign also reinforces the frame behind it, which serves as the storefront window frame and white door. Once the bakery is installed on the ground, it cannot be easily dismantled. Unfortunately, the previously reserved sunken area does not come into play.

If you recall the building details from the previous three sets, LEGO designers like to use various unconventional pieces to create roof overhangs. In Ninjago City set 70620, pry bar pieces were used, in Dock set 70657, shovel pieces were used, and in Garden City set 71741, game controller, sausage, and treasure chest lid pieces were used.

The same holds true for set 71799. The small overhang above the bakery sales window is created using five black book cover pieces.

Bag 6 assembles the interior of the bakery on a separate module, rather than directly building it inside. This module can be easily pulled out from the bakery like a drawer.

Inside, there is a corner staircase with a window of three studs in width. Outside the window, three potted plants are hanging.

Additionally, the space beneath the staircase is hollowed out to accommodate a bread oven. The designer integrates the staircase and the oven, maximizing the use of the limited interior space.

On the opposite side of the oven is the bread maker's workstation, and there is a rolling pin hanging on the wall next to it. On the workstation, there are partially finished white croissants, a shelf filled with freshly baked pretzels, and a bucket stuffed with two crunchy baguettes.

Next, using the pieces from bags 7 and 8, we start assembling the exterior walls of the upper level of the bakery. The facade of this building continues the rustic architectural style of the ground floor. Inside, we lay down smooth panels and silver ingot pieces for the later built drawer-style interior module. Inside the room, there is a sticker depicting a hanging carp painting on the wall. The two front windows utilize a clever technique of using fence pieces as wooden window frames, creating a horizontal assembly method.

The pieces from bags 7 and 8 are also used to build two large support pillars outside the house. One of the pillars by the shore is adorned with sled pieces and pearl gold pieces to create patterns. There is only a 4-stud-wide space left between this pillar and the building, serving as a pathway.

At the back, one pillar is flush against the building's wall. These two pillars are reinforced at the bottom by the 3L Technic beams that extend from the baseplate. They are also secured to the holes reserved in the walls of the first and second floors, tightly holding the two levels together.

The top of the support pillar at the back features a stickered clock, which is actually part of another room's interior. Its purpose will become clear once it is assembled later, showcasing the thoughtful design by the designer.

Bag 9 contains only a few pieces and is used to assemble the interior of the second-floor room, which is Nya's bedroom, as indicated by the painting on the wall. The windows on the wall are assembled using the same method as the room's wall frames. The bed is assembled using a new technique, utilizing sideways building techniques and pixelated bread brick pieces with curved designs. Next to the bed is a bedside table, and you might find the light blue square lamp on it familiar. It is actually a zombie headpiece from the Minecraft series, and there is also a stack of pink roller skate pieces forming a small model.

The assembled interior of the second floor can be easily placed in the space, just like the drawer interior module of the first floor.

The building process with bags 10 and 11 moves to the open space next to the bakery, where a narrow blacksmith's shop is constructed. The wall facing the front water area is divided into three sections by rotating hinge plates. This structure is similar to a chamfered corner in architecture, creating more space for the pathway on the ground.

There is a grey chimney on the outside of the blacksmith's shop, with a poster on it. The chimney and the furnace inside are connected as one through a clamp. The blacksmith's shop and the adjacent bakery are also connected at the top by bricks, which adds stability to both buildings. This also creates a small alleyway with a market atmosphere between the two buildings.

Inside the blacksmith's shop, there are also many interior details, such as a wooden barrel filled with water, a black anvil, and a new coal ball part under the furnace. On the empty space behind the blacksmith's shop, there is a stack of clutter boxes, with a brand new slime green frog sitting on top.

In addition, there are some transparent light blue smooth panels in these two parts. These were conveniently used to build the surface of the water area at the back of the baseplate and also a water channel that matches the one next to the blacksmith's shop chimney.

Parts 12-13 were used to build the second floor of the blacksmith's shop, which can only be accessed by a ladder inside the shop. The side facing the pond was designed as a living balcony due to the wedge-shaped layout of the blacksmith's shop on the ground floor, and there is a table with sushi under the window.

It can be seen that this is also a bedroom. The bed is built on a hinge plate so that it can be folded up when people go up and down the stairs. Next to it is a writing desk surrounded by a cabinet, with a ninja card egg on the desk. The cabinet and wall share two units of width, and they are integrated with each other. It is clear that the designer tried their best to save space while adding as many internal details as possible. You might be curious why there is a missing piece on the wall facing the table.

Previously, there was a clock on the pillar installed on the side of the bakery. When this bedroom module was installed above the blacksmith's shop, the top of the pillar on the bakery side was perfectly integrated into the wall of this bedroom, and the clock became part of the room's interior. When assembling this part, I have to admire the designer's overall view, as they carefully considered the continuity of the modules, in addition to the details of each individual module.

This second-floor bedroom with a living balcony does not use a drawer-style structure. Instead, a horizontally placed black arc window was built using the SNOT technique on the back wall. The entire wall can be removed from the back but is not connected to the second floor. Instead, it is connected to the top of the first floor, so it is not very sturdy, and attention should be paid to prevent it from falling off. Unfortunately, the image of this structure was not taken.

Parts 14-15 began to build the bottom plate of the third floor. The building style changed from the simple architecture of the old town below. The frame of the bottom plate was still built with mechanical beam and brick parts, leaving two spaces for gear linkage structures inside, with two tall brown supports being the most noticeable.

Looking at the bottom, the black gear on the outer edge is transmitted through two intersecting right angles, then passes through a series of gears to finally turn the red and white lattice tower on the top. The blue roof and the round top floor were also completed. The exterior of the building also had many small details, such as a statue of a samurai, a lantern, and a golden roof decoration.

Parts 16-17 continue to build the bottom plate of the third-floor structure, while covering the internal transmission structure with added details. The two light gray stop pins in the front are equipped with advertising billboards, and the opening and closing of the guardrails can be controlled by manually rotating the black gear on the back.

The edge of the third-floor bottom plate features colorful sticker billboards, following the tradition from the previous three sets. Once the bottom plate of the third-floor structure is completed and installed, all the buildings below are fixed, and further layering is not possible.

The knob on the side that controls the small elevator platform has been in an unstable state until the assembly. It is necessary to push the cross axle into place when the third-floor platform is combined with the lower building. At this step, the assembly of this interactive mechanism is considered complete, and the knob can be rotated to control the movement of the small platform.

Next, we assemble parts 18-19, which involve constructing the cable car station platform above the third-floor platform. The lower part of the platform structure has already been built in previous sets. Here, the focus is on building four Japanese-style pillars and eaves. On the side close to the elevator platform, two adorable potted plants are added as decorations, adding a touch of liveliness to this mechanically styled area.

At the top center of the cable car station platform, there is a winch with cables installed, which can be operated by turning the gears on the other side. The subsequent assembly will involve a cable car that can climb up and down, controlled by this winch structure. At this point, all the steps in instruction booklet one and the left half of the Ninjago City Docks area have been completed.

Book Two Instructions

With the second instruction booklet, we begin a new phase of construction. Parts 20-22 are used to assemble the right-side buildings of the Ninjago City Docks. Similar to the left-side building modules, the right-side modules also use a dark gray 32x32 baseplate and continue to outline the layout and dimensions of the upper structures with beam and brick parts from the mechanical set.

The land area on the right side is much larger than the left half, resulting in a smaller water area. The foundation of the constructed buildings is filled with regular bricks in medium azure, lavender, and tan colors, giving it a vibrant appearance. However, there's no need to worry as it will be covered by the ground in the subsequent building process. The remaining water area is created using green, dark green, and black plate parts. Additionally, the base structure of this baseplate has two vertical beam parts reserved.

Similar to the left half, the sides of the bottom plate on the right half are also covered with green, dark green, and black plate parts as a foundation for the water surface. In parts pack 22, over 90 transparent light blue smooth parts and some small flower elements in green are used to create the water area.

Parts pack 23 includes numerous light gray plate parts used to cover half of the left-side ground and conceal the colorful supports with bricks and complex internal structures. The remaining parts are used to assemble a long rectangular tan flower bed and a coffee table built using special parts and new building techniques, featuring two dark blue 1x1 printed bricks.

Next, parts from pack 24 are used to complete the foundation of the right-side area by incorporating two large brown trusses from an additional parts pack. These trusses are fixed to the baseplate using the previously reserved beam part holes. The cable car platform structure in the middle of the trusses is not built according to the baseplate's grid, as it requires a significant amount of jumper plates underneath.

Now let's talk about the drain outlet in the corner of the baseplate. This time, there is a new design featuring a clutch gear part from the mechanical set. It is fixed in place using candle parts, which also serve as pipes. A transparent blue flame is added on the outside to simulate flowing water, showcasing the creative use of LEGO elements by the designers.

Parts 25-26 are used to assemble a small shop next to the cable car station platform. The shop features a color scheme of light aqua and brown, maintaining the old town style of the opposite shore. Although the interior space of this room is small, it is packed with intricate details. The opposite side of the vertically assembled walls serves as a shelf, displaying a variety of merchandise.

The back wall of the shop can be easily disassembled from the side, indicating that this module cannot be disassembled from the top. When opened from the side, you can see a black-printed ninja chess piece statue on a small cabinet facing the door. The inside of the wall incorporates a ladder and climbing greenery, providing access to the second floor.

Installing the room module on the baseplate looks seamless. On the side facing the public area, next to the door, there is a black mailbox made with animal head parts from the Minecraft series. Even sheep and cows wouldn't dream that their heads could be used to make mailboxes.

Parts 27-28 are used to assemble the apartment module above the shop, which belongs to the new character, Arin. Outside the room's door, there is an entrance platform, and on the curved left wall, a 3x3 window is placed, adorned with a pot of yellow flowers and a yellow bow. On the right side of the platform, there's another creative addition: black candle parts are used, secured to stick elements with clips, to form the roof. Next to the roof is a circular shop sign facing the public area.

Now let's talk about this room. It follows the same layout and color scheme as the first-floor shop but has a smaller interior space. In fact, it's the smallest room in the entire city, just enough to fit a bunk bed.

The dimensions of the bunk bed perfectly fit within the room, with both ends snug against the front and back walls. If the upper bunk wasn't designed to be easily disassembled, it would be difficult to figure out how to fit a minifigure into the lower bunk.

Parts 29-30 are used to construct a massive porch on the right side of the cable car station. On the front-facing side, two red cylinders are built using clutch gear parts, complemented by a roof cleverly outlined with hinged doors, creating a Japanese torii gate-style porch.

The combination of dark green and pearl gold parts creates a row of intricately decorated beams, adding additional details to the porch. Three stickers are used, two of which are posters, and one is the circular sign on the back of the porch.

The posters inside the porch depict a temple, paying homage to the LEGO Employee Exclusive set 4002021 Ninjago Festival Temple from 2021.

At this stage, with the assembly complete, parts from pack 31 are used to combine the left and right baseplates of the Ninjago City Docks and complete the remaining water surface.

Additionally, a small vegetable stall is set up in the central public area, giving the whole building a market feel. And just like in Ninjago City, a water city with a vast water area wouldn't be complete without a fishing boat. Using black parts, a small boat for transporting fruits and vegetables is assembled.

Next to the stall, there are two stickered crates, each containing two slimy green frogs. This action is a bit puzzling.

The parts from pack 32 are used to assemble a 4x4 pillar for a bridge. To add a touch of life, one side of the brown support is covered with green vines. Additionally, the inside of the pillar is hollow, not due to cutting corners but because this design serves a purpose, which will be revealed later.

On either side of the pillar, there are posters with stickers, angled downwards and secured to the pillar by transparent parts above. One poster pays tribute to the classic Pirate series' Redbeard, while the other honors the LEGO Monster Fighters series from ten years ago.

To secure the pillar firmly on the baseplate, a brown support from an additional parts pack is used on the side facing the front, utilizing the mechanical assembly holes reserved beforehand. After installing the pillar between the two baseplates, a bridge is further assembled on top to connect the buildings on both sides.

Parts from pack 33 are used to construct a red arch bridge spanning the central pond area. The arch is built on a foundation of gray bricks and further embellished on both sides with large clutch gear mudguards and flexible hose parts, enhancing the curved contour of the bridge and creating elegant lines. The interior of the arch bridge is four studs wide, allowing minifigures to pass through comfortably while balancing scenic and functional purposes.

Considering that the bridge is built over the pond, it needs to be raised to accommodate the passage of the small boat. The height of the bridge arch plays a significant role in achieving the desired atmospheric effect. The red color is commonly used in Tang Dynasty architecture and Japanese gardens, aiming for visual aesthetics and perhaps even serving a protective purpose against evil.

With the completion of the second instruction manual, it's time to move on to assembling the contents of the third instruction manual. This corresponds to parts packs 34-51, continuing the construction of the remaining buildings on top of the foundation built in the first and second manuals, while expanding the height of the market.

Book Three Instructions

Parts packs 34-35 are used to assemble an exceptionally long support structure. At the bottom of each end of the support, there are two clips that can be attached to the poles reserved above the cable car stations on both sides of the market. On one end of the support at the elevated platform on the left side of the market, a brown tree trunk is built, resembling the curved shape of the potted tree in set 10281 Bonsai Tree.

After installing the inclined cable car support in place, construction of the branches and leaves begins. At first glance, the finished tree resembles a tribute to the pink version of the cherry blossom tree from set 10281 Bonsai Tree.

Next is a yellow cable car that not only has the color of bread but also has a sandwich-like structure. Using support plate parts on the core plate, the separately constructed outer walls of the cable car are attached to the sides. Three stickers are used here, two chess pawn character billboards on either side of the cable car and one front-facing cable car door sign.

Once the cable car assembly is complete, it is hung on the cable car support using a three-section mechanical assembly structure on top. Subsequently, a hook released from the rope winch of the cable car station on the left side of the market is hooked onto the top of the cable car, allowing the rotation of the knob to control the ascent and descent of the cable car on the inclined support. As a means of transportation, the cable car serves as the only way for minifigures to travel from the lower-level old town area to the three-level new town area.

By the way, inside the knob that controls the cable car's rope winch is a black 20-tooth gear that directly engages with a black 12-tooth gear below, driving the winch. Next to the large gear, there is another black 12-tooth gear. A blue friction pin is used here, serving the sole purpose of adding friction and limiting the speed of the entire mechanism. Removing this gear allows the cable car to run faster.

Next is parts pack 36-37, which can be a bit tricky when finding the parts as they are all in the same shade of gray.

In this step, the main focus is on assembling the third-level platform baseplate for the building on the right side of the market. From here on, the construction of the new town area begins. Similarly, the frame of the baseplate is built using beam parts and axles from the mechanical assembly, and then a light gray tile piece is used to cover the surface. In this step, seven stickers are used primarily on the advertising billboards of the outer railing.

At the outer end of the corridor, there is a semicircular open space, which connects to a gray arch bridge in the rear. Underneath the gray bridge arch, there is enough space to accommodate the inclined cable car support, which extends three levels above the platform. The purpose of the arch bridge is not only to connect the front and rear platforms but also to create space underneath for the functioning of the cable car support.

Parts packs 38-39 continue to be used to construct the third-level platform, extending the connecting corridor between the buildings on the left and right sides of the market, which you can imagine is quite long.

The railing on the corridor is made of transparent yellow garage door parts, exuding a strong futuristic and hardcore sci-fi vibe. Compared to the red torii gate in the middle of the corridor, it gives the illusion of being in an environment that combines the past and the future, creating a strong visual contrast. Additionally, there is an important mechanism underneath this corridor, which we will discuss later.

From the previous two images, you can see that this platform is of significant size once assembled. When installing it onto the building on the right side of the market, it requires some patience to align it with the corresponding holes below. Although this step is not difficult, it's best to proceed with caution for safety reasons. Once the right platform and corridor are in place, they seamlessly connect to the third-level cable car platform on the left side of the market, uniting the entire market into one. This step can be considered the combination of the two largest modules in the entire market set, providing a great sense of accomplishment.

Parts packs 40-41 begin assembling a futuristic-style room module, which is revealed to be a mobile phone store from the interior. A sticker with the transparent-based Borg Industries logo is applied at the entrance. The long-awaited Borg Tower finally appears in the 71799 NINJAGO City Markets set, but does it resemble what you imagined? The side facing the central area is extensively decorated with slime green and teal parts, while the curved entrance features car mudguard parts in a new color. This part, in black, previously appeared for the first time in the 10304 Chevrolet Camaro Z28 set.

The square walls of the mobile phone store are made with white parts, differentiating it from the other ancient-style rooms previously assembled. This room features floor-to-ceiling glass windows. The wall on the other side can be easily removed from the side, suggesting that this building can be disassembled into upper and lower levels.

Subsequently, the mobile phone store is installed next to the third-level cable car platform on the left side of the market, conveniently connecting to the manually operated elevator previously constructed when building the cable car station.

Parts pack 42 continues the assembly of another floor module for the Borg Tower. The color scheme and design style of this room are identical to the mobile phone store on the third level. The main difference is that this room serves as Cyrus Borg's office, complete with a wheelchair-accessible light gray platform reserved at the back.

On each side of the platform, there is a red smooth tile piece, not just for decoration but also designed for future building modules. The office also features removable floor-to-ceiling windows on the side.

When stacking the office and the third-floor mobile phone store together, although the front façade maintains a consistent style, the different dimensions of the rear portion may appear somewhat peculiar.

However, once the Borg Tower's rooftop from parts pack 43 and the red decorative structure at the back of the office are assembled, the filled-in rear section looks pleasing to the eye. The tower's rooftop does not have internal details, so the highest point of the set is four levels.

The front of the rooftop also incorporates the new colors of slime green curved bricks (77182 and 77180), which were initially available only in white and were used on the rear of the 10295 Porsche 911 set. The rooftop features two antennae, one of which has a radar.

Next up are parts packs 44 and 45, which begin constructing the three-story building on the right side of the market—the Karaoke Club. Compared to all the rooms assembled before, this room is large enough to be considered the centerpiece of the entire market. It is only after using parts pack 46 that the Karaoke Club is fully completed.

The color scheme of deep blue, purple, and teal gives the room a slight nightclub vibe, while the transparent purple glass curtain wall adds a touch of sci-fi. There is a bar counter and a small stage for people to perform karaoke. Behind the stage, there is a narrow passage whose specific purpose will be discussed later.

In fact, this Karaoke Club serves as a multifunctional entertainment room. It features an exquisite and compact pool table, a dartboard on the wall, and a red jukebox at the entrance, which is smaller in size compared to the one in set 10260 Downtown Diner.

Next to the entrance, on the wall facing the central area of the market, there is a concert poster, symmetrically complementing the Music Elements Master poster on the other side of the same wall.

Parts pack 47 is used to construct the roof of the Karaoke Club. The railing of the roof is made using deep blue window frame parts, which creates a decent effect. On one side facing the central area of the market, there are several protruding handle connections reserved, which will be used later to attach the roof's eaves. Additionally, you can see that two spots on the roof are reserved for future building modules.

Parts packs 48-49 are used to assemble a small toilet on the rooftop, featuring an orange-yellow color scheme. As the only toilet in the city market, the interior space of this room measures only 4x5. It includes a toilet seat made using hook parts from the particle paint set, and a mechanism is designed here: pressing the adjacent thin mechanical strip controls the opening and closing of the lid below the toilet, simultaneously allowing two small circular smooth tiles to drop from the hook port.

The back of the toilet is covered with a sticker poster, concealing the linkage structure. Personally, I feel that it's not necessary as exposing the structure gives it a more hardcore sci-fi style. On the side, there is also a large Japanese-style red poster featuring an image of Jay's Mech from the Core series. The remaining black parts are used to assemble the eaves of the Karaoke Club's roof and the roof of the toilet, which includes an air conditioning unit and an antenna with a radar. The antenna also has a stickered white circular plate attached to it.

It's time for the final reveal. Directly below the toilet is a passage behind the stage of the Karaoke Club. This passage connects to the three-story walkway, which features an inclined slide that leads to a hollow pipe inside the bridge pillar. The conceptual design behind the "flushable" toilet is truly ingenious and triggers a chain reaction. The convoluted path eventually leads to the open sea.

Now, let's move on to the last two parts packs, 50 and 51, which assemble three modules. Two of them are the rooftop of the Sushimi Sushi Shop and the Sushi Shop itself, located on the right side of the market. The final module is a large arc-shaped sign.

This sign utilizes green roller coaster tracks as the framework and securely holds four red signs in place. Each sign has four stickers. Every Ninjago City set includes a buildable model of a sea creature, and it appears that the market features a hermit crab. It is installed on the rooftop of the Sushi Shop.

The most eye-catching element, the Sushi Shop, has a compact interior space measuring only 4x6. Despite its small size, it is packed with a surprising amount of interior detailing. The designer used SNOT (Studs Not On Top) techniques to construct an operational counter with cutting boards and condiment jars, as well as a black gas stove. In addition to these, there is a table for serving sushi and a shelf above the stove filled with goods. Even with all these details, there is still room to accommodate a sushi chef minifigure.

Finally, these three modules are assembled on the rooftop of the Karaoke Club to create a rooftop food court. Once the roof is securely in place, the entire Ninjago City Market is fully assembled. The finished market building is truly spectacular, spanning across two street baseplates and measuring a length of 51 centimeters. The photography studio in the editorial department can barely contain it.

Of course, a city is incomplete without its residents. Due to space constraints, we will provide a detailed explanation of the 21 minifigures included in the set in the next article, titled "The Minifigures." If there is enough time and the Ninja Brick's text can be translated into English, along with deciphering all the easter eggs in the set, it would warrant a lengthy discussion. We will continue by writing an article titled "The Easter Eggs."

As we conclude, we realize that the 71799 Ninjago City Markets model can be separated into numerous modules. The ones mentioned above are just a fraction that can be easily disassembled by separating the upper and lower layers, not to mention the removable side walls of the six rooms. If desired, the red arch bridge on the central lake in the market can also be disassembled without adjusting any parts, although it may require some effort. Additionally, the cable car can be easily removed by untying the ropes. There are countless details for players to explore and enjoy, and understanding them all would take more than just a day.

Here are various views of the Ninjago City Markets.

It's worth mentioning that the pathways in each floor and room of the market building are fully accessible, with no missing stairs or ladders preventing minifigures from reaching any area.

Furthermore, it's worth noting that the 71799 Ninjago City Market set comes with a significant number of spare parts. There are enough spare parts to create another complete parts pack. Additionally, there are two extra pieces for the printed ninja chess minifigure statues.

Unfortunately, we don't have the previous three Ninjago City building sets on hand, so we can't provide a direct comparison between them or discover more connections between the different Ninjago City buildings. However, LEGO has provided an image showcasing the effect of combining the 71799 Ninjago City Market set with the 71741 Ninjago City Gardens set for reference.

summary

In summary, the 71799 Ninjago City Markets set, just like its predecessors, is filled with mind-boggling details and intricate mechanisms. The only feeling I had during the building process was that as soon as I understood the current building techniques being used, the next cool operation was right around the corner. "I didn't know this piece could be used like this!" "Is this piece completely new?" "This section can be connected to that one!" "What is this for?"

Only three days have passed since we acquired this set, and it took two and a half days, with intermittent building and photography, to quickly assemble this set in a short amount of time. If you plan to get this set, I recommend taking your time and enjoying the building experience by dedicating enough time to it. This way, you can fully appreciate the unique charm of this set.

For novice players, I suggest building some smaller sets before attempting this complex set. By familiarizing yourself with the "proper" use of conventional parts and experiencing the ordinary building process, you can better understand the careful thought put into the design of the 71799 Ninjago City Market set. If you happen to come across hidden Easter eggs during the building process, it can bring even more joy. When you look back at these details after completing the build, you'll be further immersed in the surprises this set has to offer.

Additionally, it's worth mentioning the rich playability of the 71799 Ninjago City Market set. With 6,163 parts, it has a similar part count to the recently released 10,316 The Lord of the Rings: The Valley of Gondor set. However, in terms of detail richness and playability, the City Market undoubtedly surpasses The Valley of Gondor. While The Valley of Gondor may be seen as a magnificent and exquisite display piece, the City Market is designed for both display and play.

To buy or wait? In my opinion, there's no need to choose when it comes to the modular Ninjago City series sets, especially considering that this is the largest Ninjago set ever released.

From any perspective, this is an outstanding set. If you're a fan of Ninjago, the market is filled with meaningful details and a rich history of Ninjago. Even if you're not a Ninjago fan, it offers innovative building techniques and cleverly designed intricate details. And if you're an MOC (My Own Creation) builder, considering the set's 6,163 pieces and the official price of 2,999 yuan, the value for money is unparalleled. The parts list at the end of the instruction manual spans 11 pages.Can you believe it?