Hong Kong Ocean Park
fun and adventure for friends and family

Hong Kong Ocean Park is a theme park located in the Southern District of Hong Kong Island. One of the most famous amusement and theme parks in the world, Ocean Park boasts of fun and adventure for friends and family.

The marine-themed amusement park covers the area of Wong Chuk Hang and Nam Long Shan, and is Hong Kong's very own theme park, unlike Disneyland. If it interests you, the traditional Chinese name of Hong Kong Ocean Park is Heung Kong Gong Yuen and the pinyin is Hǎiyáng Gōngyuán.

The mascot of Hong Kong Ocean Park, which goes by the name of Whiskers, is a waving sea lion. He is the first to greet around 4.2 million people who visit Ocean Park every year.

With an area of 870,000 square meters, the theme park has different themes located at different areas. A scenic cable car connects the different parts of Ocean Park. The cable car ride is itself one of the major attractions because of the fantastic hillside views.

In addition, the world's second longest outdoor escalator is inside Ocean Park also connecting over 40 rides and attractions.

Some of the popular attractions of Hong Kong Ocean Park are the Giant Panda exhibit, butterfly garden, the huge shark tank, a three-storey aquarium and numerous rides for the adventurous.

Hong Kong Ocean Park isn't just your regular amusement theme park. It also boasts of observatories, well-developed laboratories, an education department, and a Whales and Dolphins Fund. The Park doesn't only give joy and fun to the visitors but also gives back to the environment and its wonderful creatures.

Thus Ocean Park was the first institution in the world to successfully do artificial insemination of bottle nose dolphins. It also developed numerous new breeds of goldfish.

Hong Kong Ocean Park was originally built with generous donations from the Royal Hong Kong Jockey Club and opened its doors 1977. The park is operated by Ocean Park Corporation, which is a statutory board entrusted to offer affordable marine animal education and entertainment while working as a private organization for commercial purposes.

In 2006 Hong Kong Ocean Park announced a park-wide redevelopment master plan with the ambition to become the world's best marine-based theme park. The redevelopment aims to double the amount of park attractions and establish itself as a world-class and must-see destination in the whole world.

The expansion of Ocean Park will boost the image of Hong Kong as a premier tourist destination. Over HKD 5 billion has been allotted to the reconstruction and installation of over 100 new rides to compete with Hong Kong Disneyland.

The future Ocean Park will feature The Waterfront (formerly the Lowland) and The Summit (formerly the Headland). The park will double its size and new attractions will include a funicular train for transport from The Waterfront to The Summit, several new live animal shows and an area featuring polar animals.

To relieve the current traffic of Aberdeen Tunnel and bring in more tourists to the amusement park, a new MTR station on the South Island Line will be built. The new line will link Hong Kong Ocean Park to the current subway system of Hong Kong Island.

Indeed, Hong Kong Ocean Park has gone a long way since its conception in 1977. The theme park never fails to amaze and awe its visitors, especially the young at heart and the adventurous teens. I personally know lots of people who have been to Hong Kong Ocean Park and who would not think twice about going back there again.