The oceanarium in Shanghai attracts visitors not only from China, but also from all over the world. Locals come here to look at rare species of marine life that are characteristic only of the Chinese fauna and are threatened with extinction. And tourists - to see a live shark, an emperor penguin, a crab with claws about a meter in length, and other representatives of the ocean waters that were previously seen only in photographs.
A little bit about the project
Advanced Aquarium Technologies, which previously built similar complexes in the UAE, Singapore and Australia, worked on the aquarium project. These aquariums, like Shanghai, are included in the list of the best in the world. The construction and opening of the facility cost investors about $ 50 million. Considering that about 21 thousand people visit it daily, that is, about 1 million guests a year, the investment can be called profitable.
The territory of the aquarium is 20 thousand m 2 , while it consists of 3 floors. On the first level there is a descent into a huge basement, through which guests fall into glass tunnels. There are only 4 of them and the total length reaches 168 m. This is a record among buildings of this type. In addition to the exhibition, the complex includes a restaurant and souvenir pavilions. They are located on the ground floor.
The aquarium was completed in November 2001 and opened the door for visitors a year later. The first inhabitants of the water depths appeared here almost immediately after the commissioning of the object, in December 2001.
According to experts, in the oceanarium in Shanghai you can see about 15 thousand fish and about 450 species of animals, 300 of them are large. Sharks, moray eels, jellyfish, lizards and crocodiles, sea birds attract the attention of tourists. In addition to living marine inhabitants, there are also models with which children, for example, giraffes, are happy to take pictures.
Who can be admired in the aquarium
The exhibition area in the Shanghai Aquarium is divided into 8 zones. The classification principle is as follows:
- 4 of them are dedicated to continents or continents (Australia, South America, Africa and Asia),
- fifth to China,
- 3 more - to various types of sea and ocean waters.
Further, the zones are divided into smaller parts, departments (there are 28 in total). Not included in the classification is a special area called "Sea and Coast", which presents species of living creatures that can live on land.
In addition to the permanent exhibition, temporary exhibitions are organized in the aquarium. To visit them, the Chinese often buy annual membership cards for entering the aquarium. The inspection of the complex on the third floor begins. There is a cinema hall where a film about the aquarium, its history and inhabitants is shown to organized groups of tourists. Nearby is a waterfall and a zone of China.
On the same floor are the marine inhabitants of South America, primarily its largest river - the Amazon. If small colored tropical fish can be seen in pet shops, then electric eel and arapaima 3 meters long will surprise all visitors.
In areas that characterize the fauna of polar and other cold waters, spotted seals and emperor penguins, favorites of many guests of the complex, are located in separate aquariums. In addition, there are stuffed polar bears, which, like giraffes, are very popular among young visitors.
Guests of the aquarium note that the water in it is always absolutely clear, which allows a good view of the fish. Also, a special bright backlight is used to improve visibility.
What other wonders are tourists delighted with? For instance:
- seahorse - a fish that is covered with needles and similar in shape to a chess horse;
- jellyfish are placed in a separate aquarium and amaze with a variety of colors, shapes and sizes;
- a crab with a claw on a meter about a meter even scares many.
Chinese Hall
This hall in the aquarium is treated with special trepidation, because it is not just an exhibition - it is a place where the marine inhabitants that China was proud of are preserved. They have not been seen for a long time in the Yangtze and Yellow River.
For example, Chinese sturgeon and alligator are at risk of extinction. It is very rare to find a giant salamander in the wild.
Unusual basement
Having examined the aquariums of the 3rd and 2nd floors, many visitors expect that the exhibition is coming to an end. But this is not so - the guests get the most emotions when they go down to the basement tunnels. This huge area is not visible from the outside, which is why it strikes even more. The deep ocean is represented here, i.e., sharks are swimming next to people.
To avoid queues and make the stay in the tunnels more comfortable, the architects provided a special escalator. It occupies half the tunnel in width, and standing on it, all guests can move and inspect the exhibits without interfering with each other.
The second half of the tunnel is intended for those who want to stay near some of the marine inhabitants for a longer time or take a photo close up. You can go down the escalator for a while. It should be noted that moving through the tunnel towards the crowd is very inconvenient, so you need to leave the escalator in advance.
In addition to sharks, other large marine animals, such as stingrays, can be found in this area. Bright coral reefs like moray eels swim among visitors.
In the basement, as in other aquariums, not only ocean fish and animals are represented, but also their living conditions. So, the appropriate music is selected, scenery is set, the plant world is recreated.
What is special about the Shanghai Aquarium
In the Shanghai Aquarium, children and adults are pleased not only by the rare inhabitants of the seas and oceans, but also by the additional services developed by the management of the complex for visitors:
- for young tourists there is a separate training room where in an interactive form they gain knowledge;
- the most courageous guests can swim with sharks, provided that they have a life insurance policy;
- the aquarium for eels is also interactive: when the visitor comes close to the protective glass, the fish releases a charge, as a result of which colorful lights are lit;
- in each zone you can learn not only about which fish swim there, but also about how they live.
A feature of the aquarium is that it often hosts scientific and educational events, including the International Aquarium Congress (Shanghai has been hosting it for 10 years), Science Popularization Day, which is organized annually, and numerous events for students .
Zest - monitoring the feeding of the inhabitants of the aquarium
In the aquarium you can watch how fish and marine animals are fed. To do this, you need to plan your visit at a certain time (in the morning from 9 o’clock or in the afternoon). You can look at the feeding on the 2nd floor in the cold water zone and in the polar zone, as well as in tunnels.
The schedule is as follows:
- Seals are fed first at 9:45 and at 14:25 (the process takes 10 minutes);
- then you can see how penguins eat (at 10 o’clock and at 14:30; duration - 15 minutes);
- fish living in the ocean are fed under the supervision of visitors at 10:30 and at 3 o’clock, and schooling - at 10:50 and 15:20;
- sharks begin to feed at the same time, only the procedure lasts 20 minutes, not 10.
Thus, if you arrive on time and plan your movement around the aquarium, you can attend all the feedings.
How to get there
Those who have heard about the Oriental Pearl television tower will immediately understand how to get to the oceanarium, because it is a guide. And even those who have not seen the tower before, will notice it when they exit the subway at the Lujiazui Station (green line).
How to get to the aquarium in Shanghai? The oceanarium is located to the right of the landmark. It looks like a pyramid cut in half.
Schedule and prices
Typically, the aquarium is open to visitors from 9 am to 6 pm seven days a week. In some periods, it works later, until 9 pm:
- in July and August (during school holidays);
- October 1-7 (in honor of the holiday of the formation of the PRC);
- in the New Year period (the day before and 6 days after the Chinese New Year).
The price of a ticket to the aquarium in Shanghai in RMB will be:
- for adults - 160 (depending on the course, it is 1560 rubles);
- for children whose height is 1-1.4 m - 110 (1070 rubles);
- for older people (from 70 years old) - 90 (880 rubles);
- for visitors with disabilities - 70 (680 rubles).
It is also proposed to purchase an annual subscription for 388 yuan (3800 rubles). Complex tickets for visiting several sites are also on sale. For example, an excursion to the aquarium and the TV tower will cost 310 yuan (3,020 rubles).
Reviews are not only positive!
Most visitors leave the aquarium with satisfied and overwhelmed emotions, but this does not mean that there are no negative reviews about this place.
What may not be pleasant in the aquarium:
- unlike the Beijing one, it does not provide a show with the participation of marine life;
- because of the bright artificial light, the photos are not of very good quality;
- there is no way to return to the previous floor or drive through the tunnel again;
- it is difficult to go to the aquarium and take a photo due to the huge number of people;
- the aquarium glass from the bottom is often dirty due to sloppy visitors, which impairs inspection.
First of all, the largest of the marine inhabitants represented are positive feedback: giant turtles, sharks, crabs.
The climate is also impressive. For example, in the area with penguins there is always snow.
Fans of extreme sports are always happy to swim with sharks.