Hong Kong Ocean Park, Are You Really Going to Close Down?
When traveling to Hong Kong, there are two major theme parks that children love: one is Disneyland, the other is Ocean World. But between the two, I prefer taking my child to Ocean World because there we can be with animals, learning about marine knowledge and getting to know marine animals as we grow.
Hong Kong Ocean Park, which opened in January 1977, is known as Hongkong Ocean Park in English. Located in Wong Chuk Hang on the southern side of Hong Kong Island, it covers an area of over 91.5 hectares. It is a world-class theme park that integrates land and marine animals, rides, and large-scale performances, and is one of the most popular and visited theme parks in the world. From downtown Hong Kong, take the MTR Tsuen Wan Line or Island Line to Admiralty Station, then transfer to the South Island Line for one stop (6 minutes) to reach the park.
In 2012, Hong Kong Ocean Park won the prestigious "2012 Applause Award" (World's Best Theme Park) at the International Association of Amusement Parks and Attractions (IAAPA) Expo, becoming the first theme park in Asia to receive this honor. In 1999, the Central Government gifted two "national treasures"—giant pandas—to the park, making a trip to see the pandas at Ocean Park a joyful experience.
Hong Kong has very limited land resources, so building such a large theme park by making use of the mountains and sea and adapting to the local terrain has become a distinctive feature of Ocean Park. The park is divided into three main areas: the Waterfront (located to the north), the Summit (on the southern slopes of Nam Long Shan), and Tai Shue Wan. The Waterfront and the Summit are connected by a cable car and the Ocean Express train, while the Summit and Tai Shue Wan are linked by an outdoor escalator, the second-longest outdoor escalator in the world.
The first time I visited Ocean Park, when I took the cable car from the Waterfront to the Summit—which is 1.4 kilometers long—it suddenly stopped midway. The cable car cabin hung high on the steel cable, and as the sea breeze blew, the cabin swayed from time to time. To make matters worse, the floor of the cable car was made of transparent glass, and I could see the waves crashing below, which filled me with fear. Fortunately, after two or three minutes, the cable car started moving again.
Hong Kong Ocean Park is surrounded by sea on three sides: Deep Water Bay to the east, East Lema Channel to the south, and Tai Shue Wan to the west. Its aquarium is one of the largest in the world, with a water body 22 meters wide, 38 meters long, and 7 meters deep, divided into four levels that visitors can tour via channels. It houses over 5,000 fish from the Pacific islands and the South China Sea, representing about 400 species, ranging from damselfish less than 2 centimeters long to leopard sharks up to 3 meters in length.
The most thrilling experience in Ocean Park is the "Rapid Ride," commonly known as the "drop tower." Its tower is 62 meters tall. Visitors sit in a fixed seat, slowly rise to the top, briefly enjoy the sea view, and then descend at a speed of 65 kilometers per hour. The whole process takes about 30 seconds, giving you an adrenaline rush.
The most relaxing experience in Ocean Park is watching various street performances or enjoying shows in the small theater. Street performances include folk-style music and dances, as well as dragon and lion dances. All these experiences are included in a single admission ticket, and visitors just need to queue up in an orderly manner. In recent years, with the development of tourism, many similar theme parks have appeared in mainland China, but visiting Hong Kong Ocean Park remains a favorite travel activity.
In the past two years, Hong Kong Ocean Park has faced financial difficulties, with a loss of 557 million Hong Kong dollars in the 2018/19 fiscal year. Affected by the pandemic and changes in the global tourism ecology, the park canceled salary adjustments for all employees earlier this year, with no pay raises for the entire year, while also suggesting that employees apply for voluntary unpaid leave or early retirement. This is the first time since 2003 that the park has implemented a salary freeze.
Under this double blow, there are rumors that Hong Kong Ocean Park might close down this summer. If that happens, people would really have to say goodbye to the theme park that has accompanied them for over forty years, which is truly regrettable. About the author: Lu Jianhua Photography (photographer, traveler, self-media influencer)
