Ocean Park Hong Kong

Hong Kong officially the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region,is a territory of the People's Republic of China, facing Guangdong to the north and the South China Sea to the east, west and south. Hong Kong is a global metropolis and international financial centre with a highly developed capitalist economy.Hong Kong maintains its own currency, legal system, political system, immigration control, rule of the road and other aspects that concern its way of life, many of which are distinct from mainland China.[Read more]

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There are several attractions to be visited in Hong Kong, one of the main attraction is Ocean Park. If you're looking for a place to take the kids, or to unleash the kid in you, Hong Kong Ocean Park is a must. With gut-wrenching rides, magical animals and spectacular views, Hong Kong Ocean Park can deliver something for everyone.

Introduction

It is commonly known as Ocean Park, is a marine-themed amusement park situated in Wong Chuk Hang and Nam Long Shan in the Southern District of Hong Kong. Founded in 1977 by the then Governor of Hong Kong Sir Murray MacLehose, Ocean Park has now grown to about 35 attractions and rides. The park has won several awards, including The World's Seventh Most Popular Amusement Park and 33rd Most Visited Tourist Attractions in the World by Forbes..[Read more]

Features

• In fiscal year 2007/2008, Ocean Park received 5.03 million visitors awarding it the position of the world's number 15 theme park by annual attendance.
• This figure is well ahead than that of rival Hong Kong Disneyland's 4.5 million visitors.
• Covering an area of 870,000 square metres of land, the park is separated by a large mountain into two areas:

                      The Summit (Headland) and

                       The Waterfront (Lowland) respectively.

• The areas can be reached by a 1.5km long cable car system, a shuttle bus, or the Ocean Express (train). As the Headland comprises of several hills, visitors can also opt to take the world's second longest outdoor escalator.
• Excellent mix of education and fun
• Fantastic Sealife section
• Good rides
• Relatively short queues
• Competitive price

History

The park was built with donations from the Royal Hong Kong Jockey Club  and opened on 10 January 1977. The park is operated by Ocean Park Corporation, which is a statutory board. It offers affordable marine animal education and entertainment and is a private organisation for commercial purposes.

It's Growth

In the early operation of the park, the main sources of income for the park were the ticket revenues and the fundings from the Jockey Club. Since the ticket price was low, most of the time Ocean Park was operating under deficit. On 1 July 1987, the government established a 200 million trust from the fundings of Jockey Club, under the Ocean Park Corporation Ordinance (Hong Kong Law Cap. 388). This separated Ocean Park from Jockey Club and became a non-profit organisation; it needs to be responsible for its own income and was allowed to use commercial means to operate the park.

Things to See:

• The Dragon - A steel roller coaster with a maximum speed of 77 km/h with 842 metres of track. The ride lasts approximately 2.5 minutes.
• The Abyss Turbo Drop - raises the visitors up and drops them straight down in free fall in 5 seconds.
• Flying Swing
• Crazy Galleon
• Ferris Wheel
• Headland Games
• Mine Train - A steel "mine train" roller coaster with 678 metres of track. Opened in 2000.
• Raging River
• Ocean Park Escalator - At 225 m (745ft), it is the second longest outdoor escalator in the world. It is outdoors, but weatherproof.

Ocean Park Hong Kong celebrates its 30th birthday in 2007, and with attendances figures at an all time high, and an expansion underway, the future looks bright for Hong Kong's home-grown theme park.

After spending much of the nineties in the doldrums, the last few years have seen both investment and accolades. The park even gained entry into Forbes top ten theme park list. Despite competition from Hong Kong Disneyland, the park remains by far the city's best theme park.The park aims to combine education with entertainment, and does it very well. The park is packed with creatures from the deep, including; sharks, dolphins, jellyfish and a horde of other fishes. Dolphin shows are put on a number of times each day, while the new Jellyfish exhibition has received rave reviews from local press. The park also boats four pandas, housed in a state-of-the-art panda enclosure. The park can also arrange tours for those who want to get up-close and personal with the dolphins.

For thrill seekers, there is more than enough to keep you happy. Roller coaster fiends should head for The Dragon: Boasting three loops and corkscrew turn this isn't for the faint of heart., and you may want to forgo that extra hot dog before you get on. The Absyss is ideal for those who want to take their adventure to new heights, literally: The Absyss will transport you 62 metres skyward, where you can enjoy some breathtaking vistas of the South China Sea - before leaving them (and your stomach) behind, as you drop the equivalent of twenty stories..[Read more]

Facilities Available

- Pick up and drop off services from selected hotels in downtown area.
- Services of an English speaking guide.

One of the best parts of Ocean Park is the cable cars, both as an attraction in its own right and the only practical way to get from the entrance area to the rest of the park. Before you go, there are some things to see and do in the entrance area. Don't miss the pandas, and for those with smaller kiddies, the kiddy rides. Do miss the cheesy video arcades and virtual reality ride you do have to walk past to get on the cable cars.

The cable cars take you on a very pleasant ten minute ride over two mountains. Each car seats about five people. You need to enter a moving car, but it is creeping by and a small step up. Smaller kids will need a boost and you should have the stroller folded ahead of time, but otherwise it is not difficult. Aboard the car it is weirdly quiet (few places in Hong Kong are as quiet; worth the price of admission). Two sides of the car are glass, and two are barred openings.

The Ocean Park never fails to impress. The outdoor escalator system is the second largest in the world and the cable-car ride to the headland provides unparalleled panoramic views of the south side of Hong Kong Island's Riviera-like coastline and some of the 260 outlying islands of Hong Kong.

You will visit the latest themed area, Amazing Asian Animals, with some of Asia’s rarest animals including giant pandas, red pandas, Chinese giant salamanders and Chinese alligators, together with Goldfish Treasures & Panda Village. Come for a fantastic journey on the Ocean Express, the latest quick, smooth, thrilling and fun way to travel from Ocean Park’s Waterfront to the excitement at the Summit.

Other highlights include: Pacific Pier, Dinosaurs - Now and Then; Amazing Amazon; the Atoll Reef, the world's largest reef aquarium; and the Sea Jelly Spectacular, featuring more than 1,000 sea jellies of all sizes from all over the world. Dolphins and sea lions perform at Ocean Theatre.

The 72-metre-tall Ocean Park Tower gives visitors a spectacular view of the surrounding landscape, while thrill-seekers shouldn't miss the massive Dragon roller coaster, the Abyss Turbo Drop and the Mine Train roller coaster. Enjoy splendid flora and fauna in the aviary and the Butterfly House, and let the children go wild at Kids' World, where an array of games, shows and rides will captivate them with hours of fun. Everyone will enjoy Whiskers' Wild Ride, an exciting simulated tour of Ocean Park by land, sea and air. You won't believe it until you see it and experience the thrill yourself!

Ocean Park is a major attraction in Hong Kong, the luminous pearl of the Orient and world financial center in southeast China. Hong Kong's mild climate and coastal scenery, attracts throngs of visitors annually from all over world. Any visit to Hong Kong should include the world famous Ocean Park.

Hong Kong Ocean Park is located on the south end of Hong Kong Island. The larger of two sections is on the headlands of Mount Nanlang. The smaller section is in the Huang Zhu Keng Valley lowlands. With an area of 170 miles, it's one of the largest ocean parks in the world. The two entrances to Ocean Park (Tai Shue Wan Entrance and Main Entrance) are connected by cable-car.

Imagine a virtual trip through the ocean park from the lowland section to the headland section:

The trip starts from the Middle Kingdom neighboring the Tai Shue Wan Entrance. At the Middle Kingdom, tourists will see many ancient structures such as temples, pavilions and streets. Walking through the Middle Kingdom, you come upon the Hong Kong Jockey Giant Panda Habitat, home to two lovely pandas, Anan the male, and Jiajia the female. Both are very popular and appear contented in their lush green environs. Tourists enjoy watching them eat and sleep.

Beyond the Panda habitat one enters the 'Dinosaur-Now and Then' exhibits. Here tourists will see vivid dinosaur models, especially the model of Tyrannosaurus Rex. Learn how the dinosaurs became extinct 65 million years ago. 'Dinosaur- Now and Then' attractions include the Chinese Alligator and Chinese Giant Salamander.Continue on to the Dolphin Breeding Center. Here tourists will learn of dolphins' daily living habits and the importance of protecting this intelligent maritime mammal. Tourists can view at eight bottlenose dolphins including two little dolphins bred by artificial insemination for the first time in the world. Additional wildlife exhibits on the lowland section include the Butterfly House, the Goldfish Pagoda among others. Most of the exhibitions emphasize the importance of protecting endangered species.

When visitors are ready for cool relaxation and a swim, they will find the Water Paradise delightful. The Water Paradise is one of the most well-equipped aquatic entertainment centers in Asia. Thrill seekers can slide down a huge slide or jump into the water from a diving platform. A swim through the zigzag watercourse will have you wanting to return to the Ocean Park.

About the Atoll Reef

• Atoll Reef is shaped like a three or four storied elliptical fishbowl.
• Tourist can view a variety of fish through six centimeters (about 2.4 inches) glass windows.
• Atoll Reef is divided into the shadow and the deep levels each exhibiting its characteristic aquatic life.
• The collection includes sharks, tropical fish and nautilus.
• Visitors will see morays, groupers, turtles and over 400 kinds of maritime animals from the Pacific Islands or the South China Sea.
• Apart from fish, some corals and cays are exhibited. Look, a tiny Pomacentridae fish and a gigantic Zebra Shark are swimming leisurely in the expansive Atoll Reef.

Shark Aquarim

• Shark Aquarium is an underwater viewing tunnel to observe the dangerous maritime creatures.
• In the aquarium, Black Tip Reef Shark, Pygmy Swell Shark and other kinds of sharks may startle you as they approach.
• Be prepared to look sharks eye to eye as they pass safely over head. If you time it right, you might see divers feeding or playing with sharks.

Dolphin's Show

Ocean Theater is the most famous and popular spot in the whole Ocean Park. It is an open-air theater in which dolphins and sea lions stage a wonderful performance in a huge pond. Under the guidance of trainers, adorable dolphins and sea lions stand in a line or jump into water and raise theirs heads out of water. You will be thrilled by their theatrics.

Ocean Park Tower in the headland section is another aerial vantage point, with a height of 72 meters (about 236 feet). It's slowly revolving cabin enables one to catch a panoramic view of the whole park when it rotates from the ground to the top.

Hong Kong Ocean Park also is famous for its many thrilling rides on the headland. The latest ride is the Abyss Turbo Drop, which moves vertically on a 185 foot tower. As the platform slowly ascends, riders have an overall view of the ocean park. The platform stops briefly at the top before it drops abruptly, surprising even the prepared. The thrill is hard to express. Flying Swing is another ride where tourists are swung in chairs as high as seven meters (about 23 feet) through a gyrating wave. When it begins to swing, it seems riders will be thrown off. Another very visceral ride is the Roller Coaster, the longest one in Hong Kong. It twists and swoops with a maximum speed of 77 kilometers (almost 48 miles) per hour. Screams reach a crescendo as trilled riders are briefly suspended upside down. The thrill remains even after the ride is over.

Hong Kong Ocean Park will fill your day with wonder, pleasure and excitement and reward you with satisfying memories of your visit to the impressive Hong Kong Ocean Park.Enjoy a fantastic voyage on the Ocean Express, the latest quick, smooth, thrilling and fun way to travel from the Ocean Park Waterfront to the excitement at the Summit. Built to transport up to 5,000 people per hour in each direction, the Ocean Express funicular train can shuttle guests via a 1.3 kilometre tunnel between the Park’s two main sites in just 3 minutes. The train is designed to resemble a submersible vehicle, and offers a vivid experience that simulates a journey through the ocean’s depths. Be ready for some surprises with creatures of the deep.