Explore what Ocean Park is all about.
(Hong Kong – 23 November 2010) For this Christmas season, Ocean Park has prepared a line-up of exciting attractions that are guaranteed to stimulate all your senses. Don’t miss the exciting new ride, The Flash, the glittering Christmas lights, the intimate animal encounter programs at the Atoll Reef, and a chance to witness the talented works of a young painting prodigy, as they will surely leave you with unique and joyful memories of Ocean Park
Embark on a wild journey on The Flash, Ocean Park’s latest pendulum-style mechanical ride which will be launched tomorrow (24 November) as the first hit of Ocean Park Christmas Sensation. Boasting a maximum swinging height of 22 meters, a G-force of 3.9G and a top speed of 60km/hour, this ride is not for the faint-hearted. As you are hurled across the sky while being rotated at a full 360°, be prepared to scream and experience the biggest adrenaline rush ever!
Christmas is never complete without the presence of the majestic Christmas tree. This year, Ocean Park adds a special touch by presenting Hong Kong’s first ever Living Christmas Trees. Standing tall at a height of 20 feet, two Living Christmas trees will provide the perfect venue for a live performing choir to serenade you with your favorite Christmas melodies. For those looking for a quiet retreat, guests can take a stroll around the Park’s Christmas installations to enjoy the dazzling festive decorations.
If you are looking for something special and intimate to celebrate this Christmas with your family, then we invite you to get close with our marine friends from 15 December to 2 January through three unique, tailor-made animal encounter programmes at Atoll Reef, our world-class aquarium which has served Hong Kong for the past 33 years. You will also have the chance to catch a glimpse of the artistic talent of the young artist, Kenny Lau Kin-Gi, as we collaborate with him in showcasing his collection of animal paintings at an exhibition at Atoll Reef. Details of the programmes will be announced later this month.
Show your moves this Christmas at Ocean Park’s Xbox 360 Kinect Adventure Zone between 1 December and 6 January and be the first to experience this revolutionary controller-free system which detects body movements and translates it into game commands. Three exciting motion games are available, including Kinect Adventures! which allows you to travel from underwater to the mountain top to outer space, Kinect Sports which gives you a taste of what it is like to be a world athlete, and Dance Central which lets you get your groove on during this festive season.
Dr. Allan Zeman, Chairman of Ocean Park said, “As Hong Kong’s People’s Park, Ocean Park strives to provide an exciting, warm and educational experience for all our guests this Christmas. Our programs are tailor-made to cater to different guests’ interests, from adrenaline inducing rides such as The Flash to enchanting Christmas decorations and exciting new programs at Atoll Reef, or a touch of art at the painting exhibition, as well as the hippest Xbox electronic games. Ocean Park will definitely be a must-see attraction spot for locals and tourists alike this Christmas season.”
Dr. Zeman also provided an update on the latest construction progress of Ocean Park’s upcoming marine-themed attraction area – Aqua City. “Aqua City, a major milestone in the Park’s HK$5.55 billion Master Redevelopment Plan (MRP), is making speedy progress. We are targeting for its public debut in early 2011.”
The Grand Aquarium, the flagship attraction of Aqua City, takes an unusual shape of an egg with strips of fins sweeping across its sides. At a height of 30 meters and a diameter of 21 meters, the “egg” is constructed with 244 trapezium-shaped glass panels and, together with the fins, is reminiscent of a sea animal such as the octopus. It will be an iconic feature of the Grand Aquarium and Aqua City not only during the day but also at night when it is illuminated in a cobalt blue glow.
The main feature inside the Grand Aquarium is a 5,200 cubic meter fish tank, which is over twice the size of the current 2,200 cubic meter tank in Atoll Reef and can hold more than 4,500 fish. It takes over 4 days just to fill up the tank and, because of the large volume of the tank, the glass panels for the tank are custom-made in Japan with a thickness of 68 centimeters to withstand the immense water pressure.
Dr. Zeman continued, “While the construction of the Aquarium is slowly coming to an end, the next important phase in the next few months will be on testing the water quality inside the aquarium and commencing the relocation of fish.”
In front of the Grand Aquarium is the Lagoon where the daytime water fountain show, as well as the nighttime water, fire and special effects show Symbio! will be conducted. At 10 meters high and 15 meters wide, the world’s first 360° water screen will be used to tell a story of the symbiotic relationship between man and nature. Also noteworthy is the music score of the show which was composed by Oscar award-winning music composer, sound designer and mixer - Peter Lehman. Just recently, water was filled into the Lagoon, and the rehearsals of the show will be commenced in the coming weeks, which allows for fine-tuning to ensure that execution will be flawless when it is launched to the public.
Dr. Zeman concluded, “Aqua City does not only present a new attraction area, but also redefines the overall Ocean Park experience. We are thrilled about Aqua City and are excited to see the final touches being put together over the next few months, so stay tuned for more updates.”
