**Shanghai Haichang Ocean Park Travelogue**
**Duration:** 1 day
**Time:** August
**Per Capita Cost:** 300 yuan
**With Whom:** Parent-child
**Activities:** Food, photography, self-driving, independent travel, weekend trips
**Visited Places:** The Oriental Pearl Tower, The Bund, Shanghai
**Posted On:** August 24, 2020, at 19:03
**Introduction:**
When traveling to Shanghai during summer vacation, where will everyone take their children to play? The Oriental Pearl Tower, The Bund, Shanghai World Financial Center? It’s too hot, and children may not necessarily like these places. In summer, what children like most is water. Animals are also the favorites of innocent children. I recommend going to Shanghai Haichang Ocean Park.
**Shanghai Haichang Ocean Park Overview:**
Shanghai Haichang Ocean Park takes ocean culture as its theme and is divided into five major theme areas and one ocean park resort hotel. It consists of six large animal exhibition halls, sixteen marine star shows, two high-tech cinemas, and more than ten amusement facilities. The five major theme areas are Mermaid Bay, Polar Town, Underwater Wonders, Ocean Tribe, and Ice and Snow Kingdom. The six animal exhibition halls are Volcano Shark Hall, Antarctic Penguin Hall, Sea Beast Exploration Hall, Iceberg Arctic Hall, Underwater World Hall, and Coral Jellyfish Hall.
**Transportation:**
I took Line 11 from home and transferred to Line 16 at Luoshan Road Station. I got off at Lingang New City Station. At the left bus station, I took Bus No. 1135. I got on at Lingang Avenue and Hucheng Ring Road Station. After taking three stops, I got off at Yinfei Road D Port Bus Hub (Ocean Park).
**入园流程:**
Entering the park, first show the Suishen Code and take body temperature, then go through security check. You can add the official account of Haichang Ocean Park first to check the performance schedule and arrange the play route reasonably. In hot weather, water must be brought. However, there are also drinks, water, and handmade marine animal ice creams available for purchase in the park.
**Play Route:**
Sea Beast Exploration Hall – Iceberg Arctic Hall – Love of Beluga Whales (10:30) – Walrus Theater (11:30) – Penguin Restaurant for lunch. Orca Theater (13:00) – Time and Space Cable Car – Dolphin Theater (14:00) – Volcano Shark Hall – Mermaid Fairy Tale (15:00) – Dolphin Roller Coaster – Coral Jellyfish Hall – Wet and Refreshing Party (16:20) – Underwater World Hall – Dance of Fish.
**Observations and Experiences:**
From the entrance of the park, there are many children taking pictures. This place has become one of the must-visit places for tourists coming to Shanghai and locals. On Line 16, I heard a conversation between a mother and daughter. The mother said to the child, ‘Today’s temperature is 37 degrees. I accompany you to play. If it’s 38 degrees tomorrow, we won’t go out.’ Mothers are really great. There are many mothers and children getting off at Lingang New City Station. They are all going to Haichang to play. I am also looking forward to the changes of Haichang Ocean Park in two years.
**Sea Beast Exploration Hall:**
At the first stop, Sea Beast Exploration Hall, the lovely sea lions greeted us. Here, we can also see seals, sea dogs, manatees, and otters. This time I regret not bringing my child because Haichang Ocean Park is really worth visiting. The exciting parts are yet to come. The weather is a bit hot, but because there are many shows in the venues now, the time being exposed to the sun is only on the way to various venues. It is much cooler inside the venues.
**Iceberg Arctic Hall:**
Here lives a group of friends from the Arctic, including Arctic wolves, polar bears, beluga whales, and Arctic foxes. Not only children, but even I have learned about many marine animals and creatures from other places since arriving here. The knowledge that can be gained here is not found in books, which broadens one’s horizons. It’s truly an excellent place, no wonder despite the hot weather, there are still so many tourists.
**Interactive Experiences:**
In this room, there is a white animal that everyone thought was a dog. Haha, it’s actually an Arctic fox, which occasionally plays on a rotating disc, no wonder everyone thought it was a dog. I also saw the adorable internet-famous sea lion Doudou, which loves to balance a glass tank on its head, moving in sync with you, extremely interesting.
**Beluga Love and Walrus ComedyThe sea lion will also salute and handstand, super cute. The walrus likes beautiful young ladies and even played a sit-up competition with them. Its cute appearance makes people laugh, and the walrus is the easiest to remember because it has long teeth.
It’s almost lunchtime, and we came to the Penguin Restaurant. The first floor was already full, so we went to the second floor to eat. Entering the restaurant is like coming to the undersea world, a wonderful feeling. Such cute penguins, I don’t want to eat, just want to take them home. This is a children’s set meal. There is also Hainan chicken rice, eel rice, and the taste is also very good.
There is also the whale shark restaurant worth experiencing. Connected to the Volcano Shark Pavilion, you can have a romantic candlelight dinner with more than ten thousand rare fish. The Sha Ta Restaurant is located in the Underwater Wonderland area and is also very popular, mainly featuring Southeast Asian cuisine. Recently, it is holding a food festival.
After replenishing energy, we started our afternoon itinerary. At the Orca Pavilion, you can learn more about the knowledge of orcas, a friend of humans, from orca science. Take the time cable car to the Dolphin Pavilion to explore! The cable car does not require a fare, it is included in the ticket.
The large-scale situational interactive show ‘Dolphin Love Song’ is performed on the dreamy stage. The dolphin elves leap out of the water, and the wonderful picture stunned me. I did not catch this moment. To experience this shocking scene, it is best to experience it yourself! Dolphins are also high IQ marine animals, and their cooperation with the conservationist is also very high, attracting bursts of applause from everyone. The beautiful stage effect is also one of my favorite theater performances. If you are lucky enough, you can also get a kiss from the dolphin baby! The premise is to be over sixteen years old.
In the ocean park, there is also a volcano, which is the Volcano Shark Pavilion. The biggest highlight of the Volcano Shark Pavilion is the seven-degree inclined immersive tank, which is the best place to watch the sea view, no other! The mermaid fairy tale is also held here, and five mermaids appeared in the large water tank, beautiful and fascinating. They dance on the seabed, especially beautiful, very amazing.
These performers are all excellent swimmers. As free diving requires strong swimming skills. Amidst the graceful scenes, everyone is engaged in a single activity: capturing the splendid moments with their mobile phones or cameras. Along the way, there are various shark tanks, which also serve as excellent spots for taking photos. The vibrant underwater world is truly fascinating.
Passing by the gift shop on your way out, you’ll find adorable dolls and souvenirs that are hard to resist. The Coral Jellyfish Pavilion is a unique exhibit dedicated to corals and jellyfish. The jellyfish music hall, created through mirror reflection, changes with the colorful lighting effects, giving a dreamlike feeling. Jellyfish are personally one of my favorites; they dance gracefully with their expanding and contracting movements, which I find particularly captivating. I took numerous photos and could never tire of watching them. The variety of corals inside is also impressive, including feather mushroom corals and mushroom sunflower corals.
The Underwater World Pavilion is a favorite among both adults and children. The underwater tunnel here is especially long, making it ideal for portrait photography. Although it can get a bit crowded during the summer vacation, that’s not a problem. With a prime lens, you can blur the background and still capture stunning images. Everyone loves to linger in the underwater city garden, a very popular spot. Staying in the indoor venue, away from the heat, you can still have a lot of fun.
The high-difficulty free diving performance ‘Dance Among Fishes’ is highly观赏able. With fish surrounding the underwater fairy as she emerges. The fairy and the sprites work in perfect harmony, presenting the dreamy world beneath the sea.
Besides viewing the animals, the ocean park also offers thrilling and fun amusement rides. Hurry up and take a ride on the Dolphin Coaster and the Volcano Rafting for an adrenaline rush. I didn’t try them myself, but friends who have say they’re thrilling yet safe and incredibly fun.
By the end of the day, as dusk approaches, the hot and refreshing wet party begins! Everyone gathers together and starts a party with the performers. Water guns and foam fights delight the children.
I visited many places in one day, but I didn’t cover the entire park. A good suggestion is to stay overnight at the Haichang Ocean Park Resort Hotel and play all the rides like the Speedy Penguins, Happy Little Flying Fish, Flying Giant Fish, Pelican Adventure, and Ocean Merry-Go-Round the next day. HaichI’m also looking forward to my next visit to Haichang.
