Heilongjiang Tourism: A Visit to Harbin Marine Polar Park (Photos)

The second stop of the one-day Harbin sightseeing tour was the Marine Polar Park. On the morning of April 9, 2021, after visiting the Siberian Tiger Park, the journalists, led by guide Hong Yan from Harbin Longlv Group, drove to this world's first polar performance amusement park, one of the four major scenic spots of the Harbin International Ice and Snow Festival, and China's only marine polar aquarium themed on entertainment performances.

Marine Polar Aquarium (Photo by Feng Ganyong)

Xu Shen, a staff member of the Marine Polar Aquarium, first took the journalists to the newly opened Phase II Polar Aquarium, which had grandly opened on March 12. There, a spectacular performance between humans and whales was underway. Since it was a timed show, it had already started when they arrived. Although they only watched half of it, they still found it very pleasing to the eye.

Human-Whale Show Performance (Photo provided by Xu Shen)

In the vast theater, the front featured a large, enclosed water stage made of acrylic glass. In the blue water, a young woman wearing flippers danced up and down with a whale, her graceful movements a delight to behold. The audience's cheers and applause echoed frequently in the theater.

Human-Whale Show Performance (Photo provided by Xu Shen)

This is one of the top seven world-class theme performances led by the Harbin Aquarium, the world's only underwater polar beluga performance, and China's first pair of female trainers. Together with their two beluga babies, they performed the "Heart of the Ocean," which was truly breathtaking.

Group Photo at the Polar Aquarium (Photo by Hao Jiaxiang)

Xu Shen introduced that in the Phase II project of the Polar Park, the aquarium created many world legends: for example, a polar show performed by top global artists together with various polar marine animals; the creation of the world's first Polar Bear Hotel, where guests can enjoy 24 hours with polar bears; the construction of Mars Animal City, realizing a reunion of rare animals; and the world's first largest indoor polar glacier, allowing visitors to step into a distant ice age in an instant.

Polar Show Performance (Photo provided by Xu Shen)

After the human-whale performance, everyone began to stroll through the Phase II Marine Polar Aquarium for sightseeing. This is China's first scenario-based polar theme park, integrating polar animal displays, polar landscapes, and interactive experiences.

A Corner of the Greater Khingan Range (Photo by Feng Ganyong)

The Harbin Polar Aquarium features a global journey designed according to a script story. It has created over a dozen leisure experience zones, including "Antarctic Penguin Island," "Arctic Animal Home," "Happy Sea Lion Kingdom," "Greater Khingan Range," and "Whale Bay."

Arctic Wolf (Photo by Feng Ganyong)

At the Harbin Polar Aquarium, visitors can not only observe polar animals but also truly enter the polar world, immerse themselves in a world of ice and snow, and live together with polar bears, belugas, penguins, sea lions, and other polar animals, enjoying the joy of the polar theme.

A Corner of Penguin Island (Photo by Feng Ganyong)

Arriving at the "Antarctic Penguin Island" in the polar aquarium, which is the penguin breeding area, many visitors stopped to watch the adorable penguins. The journalist felt that the penguins here were slightly smaller and much tamer than those he saw in Antarctica, too docile, as if lacking a natural wildness...

Penguins on Antarctic Coast Island (Photo by Feng Ganyong)

Through conversation with Xu Shen, the journalist learned that this is due to the diversity of penguin species. But without a doubt, they are the first batch of the purest Antarctic penguin families to land in China. Here, they can fall in love, get married, and even have babies just like penguins in nature. Because in Antarctica, they only see black and white, so if you wear brightly colored clothes when visiting, they will surely come close to you and not let go.

Truant Penguin (Photo by Feng Ganyong)

It is particularly worth mentioning that there is a penguin mascot named "Truant Penguin" in the Marine Polar Aquarium, which is deeply loved and sought after by children. Seeing its unique and cute image, most visitors can't help but smile and find it hard to put down.

Polar Glacier (Photo provided by Xu Shen)

Xu Shen said that "Truant Penguin" is a cultural tourism IP successfully created by our Marine Polar Aquarium in 2019, with over 300 million exposures within a year, becoming a "traffic star" for Harbin's cultural tourism and representing Harbin's ice and snow tourism industry. In the winter of 2020, the "Truant Penguin" danced with Russian ballet dancers at the Harbin Grand Theatre, perfectly integrating the two cultural tourism business cards of Harbin, captivating the world, and winning the IAI International Tourism Award.

Flamingos at the Polar Aquarium (Photo by Feng Ganyong)

Leaving the Antarctic Penguin Island and walking on, suddenly a group of flamingos appeared in the aquarium. The journalist never expected that the flamingos he saw in Bolivia, South America, would reappear in the Harbin Marine Polar Aquarium in the northern city.

Bolivian Flamingos (Photo by Feng Ganyong)

From Phase II of the Marine Polar Aquarium to Phase I, it was another unique marine world. Here, a series of performances such as "Walrus Show," "Sea Lion Show," "Ray and Mermaid Show," "Seal Training Hall," "Penguin Skit," and "Parade Performance" were wonderfully diverse.

Walrus Show (Photo provided by Xu Shen)

In summary, the Harbin Marine Polar Park, as China's first large-scale amusement park centered on polar theme entertainment performances, features many classic original polar theme shows and a wide variety of Arctic and Antarctic animals. Wandering through it brings endless joy, making it truly a paradise for children. (Text and photos by Feng Ganyong)