Ocean Park in Hongkong

Ocean Park Hong Kong (Chinese: 香港海洋公園), commonly known as Ocean Park, is a marine mammal park, oceanarium, animal theme park and 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 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.

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, ahead of rivalHong 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 1.5 km long cable car system, a shuttle bus, or the Ocean Express funicular railway. As the Headland comprises several hills, visitors can also opt to take the world's second longest outdoor escalator.

The theme park currently has 19 rides, including two rollercoasters, but also houses 11 animal exhibits, such as a Giant panda habitat, a jelly fish and Chinese sturgeonaquarium, as well as a four-story aquarium displaying more than 2,000 fish.

Besides being an amusement park, Ocean Park Hong Kong also operates observatories, well developed laboratories, an education department and a Whales and Dolphins Fund.

Ocean Park Hong Kong was the first institution in the world to have success in artificial insemination of bottlenose dolphins, and developed numerous new breeds of goldfish.

In September 2007, Ocean Park Hong Kong increased its ticket prices by 12% and 14% to take advantage of the Golden Week Holidays.

In July 2009, Ocean Park Hong Kong announced that they would increase their ticket prices by 20% and 25% to pay a loan.

Attractions

Headland Rides(山上機動城)

• The Dragon (瘋狂過山車) – Hong Kong’s largest roller coaster with a maximum speed of 77 km/h. Twists 360° through two giant loops over 842 metres of track
• The Abyss Turbo Drop (極速之旅) – Raises passengers up 62 metres in 20-25 seconds before thrusting them downward at speeds of up to 65 km/h, even faster than freefalling.
• Flying Swing (飛天鞦韆) – Swings passengers up 7 metres into the air at 11 rpm in an undulating wave motion.
• Crazy Galleon (沖天搖擺船) – A massive suspended ship that tilts passengers back and forth at a nearly 45° angle, 20 metres above the ground.
• Ferris wheel (摩天巨輪) – Standing 27 metres tall with 18 six-seater gondolas, the Ferris wheel offers spectacular views of Ocean Park and the South China Sea.
• The Eagle (翻天飛鷹) – Hoists passengers 23.5 metres into the air and whirls them around at a maximum gyro drive speed of 22 rpm.
• Headland Skill Games – Features 20 classic arcade games that tests players dexterity and strength.

Adventure Land (急流天地)

• Mine Train (越礦飛車) - A steel "mine train" roller coaster perched on the edge of a cliff overlooking Aberdeen Harbour. Boasts 678 metres of track and stands 85 metres tall at its highest point.
• Raging River (滑浪飛船) – A refreshing water ride that takes passengers through tropical waterfalls, narrow ravines and finishes by shooting them down a slide at almost 60 km/h.
• Ocean Park Escalator (登山電梯) - At 225 m (745 ft) long, this weatherproof escalator is the second longest outdoor escalator in the world.

Amazing Asian Animals (亞洲動物天地)

• Giant Panda Adventure – An impressive purpose-built habitat that houses rare giant pandas and red pandas, making their first appearance in Hong Kong.
• Panda Village – Showcases clever Asian small-clawed otters and a variety of Asian birdlife in a woodland setting.
• Gator Marsh - At 225 m (745 ft), it is the second longest outdoor escalator in the world. It is outdoors, but weatherproof.
• Goldfish Treasures – A goldfish pavilion featuring the latest and rarest varieties like the Black Oranda and Blue Phoenix Eggfish. Educates visitors on the history and importance of the goldfish in Chinese culture.

Marine Land (海洋天地)

• Pacific Pier (太平洋海岸) – Mimics the rocky habitat of 20 resident seals and sea lions on the Northern Californian coast. Allows visitors to walk under the pier to view these marine mammals in the water, complete with simulated waves.
• Atoll Reef (海洋館) - A four-storey high aquarium holding more than 2,000 fish from 250 different species, including the Black Spotted Sting Ray, for which a second generation was successfully bred at Ocean Park.
• Chinese Sturgeon Aquarium – Yangtze River Exploration (中華鱘館- 長江足跡) – Houses rare Chinese sturgeon along with other native species of the Yangtze River in an educational exhibit on this fragile ecosystem.
• Ocean Park Tower (海洋摩天塔) – One of the tallest observation towers in Southeast Asia. Rises 200 metres above sea level with a rotating observation deck at the top offering 360° views of the South China Sea.
• Sea Jelly Spectacular (水母萬花筒) – Showcases an underwater ‘garden’ of over 1,000 sea jellies from around the globe, set to the latest lighting, music and multimedia special effects.
• Ocean Express (海洋列車) – A funicular railway system capable of transporting visitors between the Summit and the Waterfront in 3 minutes with a capacity of carrying 5000 people per hour. This themed ride utilizes multimedia effects to simulate the feeling of travelling into the depths of the sea. The Funicular was supplied by specialist ropeway engineering company Deppelmayr/Garaventa Group  in conjunction with Swiss based Gangloff  who built the Funicular car, the themed multimedia effects were designed and installed by UK based theme park design specialist Sarner Ltd.
• Cable Cars (登山纜車) – Ocean Park’s iconic Cable Cars transport visitors from the Waterfront to the Summit, 205 metres above sea level. This 8-minute ride offers breathtaking views of the surrounding mountains, sea and the Park.
• Japanese Garden (日本花園) – A tranquil Japanese-style garden complete with landscaped greenery, bridges and streams filled with koi.

Lowland Gardens (綠野花園)

• Hong Kong Jockey Club Giant Panda Habitat (香港賽馬會大熊貓園) - Home to two of Ocean Park’s giant pandas, An An and Jia Jia. The Giant Panda Habitat also acts as a resource centre on the care and conservation of this species.
• Sky Fair (七彩升空天地) – Ride a real hot air balloon that soars 100 metres into the air and see majestic views of southern Hong Kong. The area features a carnival setting with clowns, jugglers and acrobats.
• Bungee Trampoline(威水笨豬跳) – Enables visitors to jump very high into the air on large trampolines when strapped in.

• Unique Park Experiences and SmartFun Annual Pass Programme

  Ocean Park runs a variety of programmes that enables visitors to get close to its resident animals as well as hold events within the Park. Its wildlife encounter programmes run the gamut from hands-on experiences like swimming with dolphins at the Dolphin Encounter, or learning to be a panda keeper at the Honorary Panda Keeper Programme, to tours like the Amazing Animals Ed-Venture and Sea Jellies & Fish Ed-Venture, which take groups behind the scenes at these facilities. The Park can also be chartered for birthday parties, wedding celebrations and evening company outings.
  The SmartFun Annual Pass programme was launched in 2009. Apart from allowing its members enhanced or discounted access to the Park and its special events, SmartFun members may also be invited to take part in exclusive education workshop