Chimelong Ocean Kingdom
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| Slogan |
全球领先的海洋主题乐园 World Leading Ocean Theme Park |
|---|---|
| Location | Chimelong International Ocean Resort, Fuxiang Bay, Hengqin, Zhuhai, People's Republic of China |
| Theme | Marine |
| Owner | Chimelong Group |
| Operated by | Chimelong Group |
| Opened | 29 March 2014 |
| Operating season | Year round |
| Visitors per annum | 5.5 million (2014 operating year)[1] |
| Area | 8 |
| Rides | |
| Roller coasters | 1 |
| Water rides | 2 |
| Website |
zh |
Chimelong Ocean Kingdom is a theme park situated in Hengqin, Zhuhai, People's Republic of China. It is designed by PGAV Destinations.[2] The park broke ground on 28 November 2010[3] and soft-opened on 28 January 2014.[4] The grand opening occurred on 29 March 2014. The first phase of the park cost RMB 10 billion to build.[3] It is part of the Chimelong International Ocean Resort, which aims to become the "Orlando of China".[2] According to TEA and AECOM, it is the 20th most visited theme park in the world in 2014, with 5.5 million visitors.[1] The park also received the Award for Outstanding Achievement - Theme Park at the 21st Annual Thea Awards.[5]
Rides and attractions
Roller coasters
| Name | Type | Manufacturer | Area | Opened | Image |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Parrot Coaster | Wing coaster | Bolliger & Mabillard | Amazing Amazon | 2014 | |
| Polar Explorer | Water coaster | Mack Rides | Polar Horizon | 2014 | |
| Walrus Splash | SuperSplash water coaster | Mack Rides | Mount Walrus | 2014 | |
Themed areas
There are eight themed areas inside the park, each representing a part of the ocean.
Ocean Avenue
- The entrance area with shops and an LED digital canopy that showcases the sea
Dolphin Cove
Amusement rides
- Battle of the Pirates – spinning tea cups with shooting water jets
- Dolphin Round Ride – spinner ride
- 5D Castle Theatre - Opened in 2015. The castle theatre features a 13-minute animated film called "Kaka's Great Adventure". The film is produced by Prana Studios with Kraftwerk Living Technologies (KLT) providing the hardware. The theatre has a 1,500m² curved screen, a world record. The theatre took more than three years to plan and cost some ¥300 million (US$50 million) to build.[6]
Animal exhibits
- Dolphin Island and Dolphin Theatre – spotted dolphin habitat
- Dolphin Conservation Centre – Bottlenose dolphin habitat with underwater viewing facilities
Amazing Amazon
Amusement rides
- Parrot Coaster – Bolliger & Mabillard winged coaster ride
Animal exhibits
- Journey to the Amazon – freshwater aquarium
Ocean Beauty
Amusement rides
- Deep Sea Odyssey – submarine ride that goes inside the aquarium
Animal exhibits
- Whale Shark Exhibit Aquarium – Allegedly the world's largest aquarium featuring 4 whale sharks, manta rays, corals, and many other species. At the time of its opening, it also had the largest aquarium window in the world according to the Guinness World Records, a single acrylic panel measuring 39.6 by 8.3 m (130 by 27 ft).[7] The window has now been succeeded by the Cube Aquarium in Chengdu.
Polar Horizon
Amusement rides
- Polar Explorer – water roller coaster ride
Animal exhibits
- Beluga Experience and Beluga Theatre – beluga habitat
- Polar bear Village – Polar bear habitat
- Penguin World – Penguin habitat
Fun Zone
Amusement rides
- Happy Bump Bump Bump – Bumper cars
- Games Arcade – game stalls
- Octopus Carousel
Animal exhibits
- Otter Exhibit – Otter habitat
- Stingray Encounter – stingray habitat
- Tide pools – pools with small fish and other sea creatures
Mount Walrus
Amusement rides
- Spirit of Adventure – pirate ship
- Walrus Splash – giant flume
Animal exhibits
- Walrus Island – walrus habitat
- Sea Lion Bay and Sea Lion Theatre – sea lion habitat
- Sea Bird Paradise – Home to pelicans, white cranes, white-naped cranes, white storks, herons, spotted seals, capybaras, green sea turtles, African spurred tortoises, Aldabra giant tortoise and seagulls.
Hengqin Ocean
- Shows, parades, and firework shows
Awards
In 2015 Chimelong Ocean Kingdom won the Thea Award for Outstanding Achievement over 169 international candidates, marking the first time the award was given to a Chinese theme park.[8]
Criticism
Samuel Hung Ka-yiu, chairman of the Hong Kong Dolphin Conservation Society, said, "Ocean Kingdom seems to have imported everything. They are doing everything wrong. They are doing everything you don't want them to do".[9] Examples include polar bears confined in small areas demonstrating "repetitive pacing, swaying, head-bobbing or circling"[10] and skin disorders in penguins kept in a sub-tropical environment.
Further criticism arises from a recent trade of orcas between China and Russia.[11] In 2013 Russia captured wild orcas in the Sea of Okhotsk,[12] two of which have been sold to China. "Now, a conservation group monitoring the capture of killer whales says it has discovered that Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (Cites) permits were applied for by Russia and granted for two wild-caught killer whales, also known as orcas, to be exported to China."[9] Ocean Kingdom refuses to comment on whether they plan to display orcas in future but there are currently 50 aquariums in China, none of which have orcas on display.
Attendance
| 2014 | Worldwide rank |
|---|---|
| 5,504,000[1] | 20 |
See also
References
- 1 2 3 "TEA/AECOM 2014 Global Attractions Attendance Report Report" (PDF). Themed Entertainment Association. 2015. Retrieved June 4, 2015.
- 1 2 Brady MacDonald (17 July 2013). "Huge Chinese theme-park project aims to be the 'Orlando of China'". Los Angeles Times.
- 1 2 "Hengqin ocean resort to open in 2013 29/11/2010". Macau Daily Times. 29 November 2010.
- ↑ "Hengqin: Chimelong Ocean Kingdom to open before CNY". Macau Daily Times. 13 January 2014.
- ↑ "21st Thea Awards". Themed Entertainment Association. 10 September 2015. Archived from the original on 10 September 2015. Retrieved 5 January 2016.
- ↑ Michael Switow (June 2015). "Chimelong Ocean Kingdom - June 2015". IAAPA.
- ↑ "Largest Aquarium Window". Guinness World Records. Retrieved 31 March 2014.
- ↑ "Chimelong Ocean Kingdom wins 2014 Thea Award". Hengqin.gov.cn. Retrieved 5 August 2015.
- 1 2 Simon Parry. "Could Zhuhai's new Ocean Kingdom create a market for imported killer whales?". Post Magazine. Retrieved 11 February 2014.
- ↑ "Zoochosis: Abnormal and Stereotypic Behaviour in Captive Animals". Born Free Foundation.
- ↑ "Ocean Kingdom in China Could Become World Leader in Importing Killer Whales". Coaster-net. 5 March 2014.
- ↑ "Message board". Russian Orcas Homepage. 13 October 2013.
External links
- Official website
- Photos: Chimelong's Ocean Kingdom theme park in China Los Angeles Times.
- Coaster Forum Review
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Coordinates: 22°06′00″N 113°31′48″E / 22.1001°N 113.5300°E