Ocean Park reborn

By Vince G. Lopez

February 13, 2011, 2:47am

The Grand aquarium turns into an astounding eye candy at night. (Photo by Vince G. Lopez)

 More than three decades ago since it opened its gates, Ocean Park Hong Kong has welcomed and made 95 million guests happy.

In fact, it continues to reign supreme as one of the top 10 parks in the world with its magnificent marine and wildlife as well as themed rides and attractions.

Now, Ocean Park hopes to usher in new memories as it recently unveiled its grandest renovation, to date.

Complete with a grand scale fountain and a world-class aquarium, Aqua City is Ocean Park’s brand new flagship marine themed zone.

“The opening of Aqua City represents the birth of the New Ocean Park as it gives us a new flagship Aquarium and a new iconic entrance,” said Dr. Allan Zeman, Ocean Park’s Chairman.

He adds: “Ocean Park has been connecting people with nature for over 34 years by sowing unconditional love for the animal under its care, extending educational opportunities to the public, opening our eyes to the wonders of nature and offering world-class theme park experiences.”

Zeman explained that Aqua City will bolster Ocean Park as the premier international travel destination that combines conservation advocacy with the most pleasurable theme park experience.

The theme park now has a single point of entry, the Ocean Square, which features colorful sculpture installations of marine animals, an interesting teaser on the vibrant, new experiences that could be enjoyed inside the park.

“We used to have several exit points within Ocean Park. Now with Ocean Square, we have a common place for entry and exit, and together with the colorful sculptures and the animals, guests will have a grasp of what Ocean Park is all about and what they could experience inside,” shared Tom Mehrmann, Ocean Park’s CEO.

Guests will also be delighted with Ocean Park’s new shopping and dining experience.

For the shop-a-holics, a 15,000 square foot retail space awaits them with 20,000 themed gifts and souvenir shops.  Items in the store feature unique designs, mostly bearing messages on education and environmental conservation. There are also shops selling premium gifts and exquisite jewelry and an exclusive collection from internationally-acclaimed homegrown brand, Chocolate Rain.

For foodies, there’s Aqua City Bakery, Lakeside Snacks Food Cart, among other food establishments. The park’s first ever bakery features Hong Kong’s world-famous pastries, such as pineapple bun and egg tart.

“We are known as Hong Kong’s People Park because we are a home-grown theme park and we are very close to the local’s heart. This is one of the main reasons for putting up the Aqua City Bakery which features the famous pastries of  Hong Kong, ” added Mehrmann.

As if these aren’t enough, the new Ocean Park now boasts of the jaw-dropping Grand Aquarium and the Lagoon which is located at the center of Aqua City.

Larger than Life

Previous guests to Ocean Park are familiar with the park’s Atoll reef, previously their biggest Aquarium. But the Grand Aquarium is so much more.

With 244 trapezoid glass panels and draped with golden fins across its surface, the egg-shaped Grand Aquarium lights up the Park at night with a cobalt blue glow. The grace and brilliance of the Grand Aquarium shines as it becomes the park’s latest crown jewel.

The Grand Aquarium ranks as the 9th largest aquarium in the world. Inside the Grand Aquarium are 5,000 marine animals of over 400 species, including the Scalloped hammerhead shark, Pacific blue fin tuna and the Japanese skipjack tuna.

Inside the Grand Aquarium, guests could experience the diverse aquatic ecosystems in one reef through a number of viewing panels, giving them a spectacular  “from the sea floor to the seashore” visual treat. There is also the 13-metre panoramic acrylic-viewing panel inside the aquarium which is also one of the largest in the world. For kids, as well as curious adults, the park also added the touch pool where guests can enjoy hands-on encounters with sea cucumbers and starfish.

“We are very proud and excited with the Grand Aquarium.  We are confident that the Grand Aquarium is one of the best aquariums in the world,” Zeman said.

In front of the Grand Aquarium is another visual delight, The Lagoon, which is a large complex water fountain where the Symbio! Show is held. Symbio! tells of the exciting story of the water and fire dragon, set against the world’s first and only 360 degrees water screen and the amazing musical scoring of Oscar-winning composer Peter Lehman.  Watching Symbio! is the perfect way to end a fun-filled day at the new Ocean Park.

“Ocean Park has provided a great deal of joy to local and foreign guests for over 30 years. The new Aqua City,  I believe, will be loved by children and adults alike. I hope that the New Ocean Park will further cement the status of Hong Kong as one of the world’s most attractive tourist destinations,”  said Donald Tsang, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region.