Shanghai Aquarium 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 endangered. And tourists - to see a live shark, an emperor penguin, a crab with claws about a meter long and other representatives of the ocean waters, which were previously seen only in photographs.
A little about the project
The aquarium project was developed by Advanced Aquarium Technologies, which had previously built similar complexes in the United Arab Emirates, Singapore and Australia. These aquariums, like the one in Shanghai, are among 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 every day, that is, about 1 million guests a year, the investment can be called profitable.
The territory of the aquarium is 20 thousand m22, while it consists of 3 floors. On the first level there is a descent into a huge basement through which guests enter glass tunnels. There are only 4 andthe 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 its doors to visitors a year later. The first inhabitants of the water depths appeared here almost immediately after the commissioning of the facility, in December 2001
According to experts, in the aquarium in Shanghai you can see about 15 thousand fish and about 450 species of animals, 300 of them are large. The attention of tourists is attracted by sharks, moray eels, jellyfish, lizards and crocodiles, sea birds. In addition to living marine inhabitants, there are also mockups with which children are happy to take pictures, for example, giraffes.
Who can you admire in the aquarium
The exhibition area in Shanghai Aquarium is divided into 8 zones. The classification principle is as follows:
- 4 of them are dedicated to mainlands or continents (Australia, South America, Africa and Asia),
- fifth - to China,
- 3 more - different types of sea and ocean waters.
Further, the zones are divided into smaller parts, departments (there are 28 in total). A special area called "Sea and Shore" was not included in the classification, where species of living beings are presented that can also live on land.
In addition to the permanent exhibition, temporary exhibitions are organized in the aquarium. To visit them, the Chinese often buy annual subscriptions to the aquarium. The inspection of the complex begins on the third floor. There is a cinema hall where organized groupstourists are shown a film about the aquarium, its history and inhabitants. Nearby is a waterfall and China zone.
On the same floor, the marine inhabitants of South America are represented, primarily its largest river - the Amazon. If small colored tropical fish can be seen in pet stores, then the electric eel and the 3 m long arapaima 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 housed in separate aquariums. In addition, there are stuffed polar bears, which, like giraffes, are very popular with young visitors.
Guests of the aquarium pay attention to the fact that the water in it is always absolutely transparent, which allows you to see the fish well. Also, a special bright backlight is used to improve visibility.
What other curiosities delight tourists? For example:
- seahorse - a fish that is covered with needles and shaped like 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 span of about a meter scares many people.
Chinese hall
This hall in the aquarium is treated with special trepidation, because this is not just an exhibition - it is a place where the marine life that China was proud of has been preserved. They have not been seen in the waters of the Yangtze and the Yellow River for a long time.
For example, the Chinese sturgeon and the alligator are at risk of extinction. Highlyit is rare to see a giant salamander in the wild.
Unusual basement
After seeing the aquariums on the 3rd and 2nd floors, many visitors expect that the exhibition is coming to an end. But this is not so - guests get the most emotions by going down into the basement tunnels. This huge zone is not visible from the outside, so it strikes even more. The deep ocean is represented here, i.e. sharks swim next to people.
To avoid queues and make your stay in the tunnels more comfortable, the architects provided a special escalator. It occupies half the width of the tunnel, and standing on it, all guests can move and view the exhibits without interfering with each other.
The second half of the tunnel is for those who want to stay longer near some of the marine life or take a photo up close. You can go down the escalator for a while. Please note 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 rays, can be found in this area. Visitors also like bright coral reefs, among which moray eels swim.
In the basement, as in other aquariums, not only ocean fish and animals are presented, but also their living conditions. So, appropriate music is selected, scenery is installed, the plant world is recreated.
What's special aboutShanghai Aquarium
At the Shanghai Aquarium, children and adults are pleased not only with the rare inhabitants of the seas and oceans, but also with additional services developed by the management of the complex for visitors:
- for little tourists there is a separate training room, where they gain knowledge in an interactive form;
- daring guests can swim with sharks, provided they have a life insurance policy;
- The eel aquarium is also interactive: when a visitor comes close to the protective glass, the fish releases a projectile, causing colorful lights to light up;
- in each of the zones you can learn not only what kind of fish swim there, but also 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 (Science Popularization Day), which is organized annually, and numerous activities for schoolchildren.
Zest - watching 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 schedule your visit for a specific time (in the morning from 9 o'clock or in the afternoon). You can watch the feeding on the 2nd floor in the cold water zone and in the polar zone, as well as in the 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 the penguins eat (at 10 o'clock and at14:30; duration - 15 minutes);
- fish living in the ocean are fed under the supervision of visitors at 10:30 and 3 o'clock, and schooling fish - at 10:50 and 15:20;
- sharks start feeding 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 TV Tower will immediately understand how to get to the aquarium, because it is a landmark. And even those who have not seen the tower before will notice it when they get off the subway at Lujiazui Station (Green Line).
How to get to the aquarium in Shanghai? The aquarium is located to the right of the landmark. It looks like a pyramid cut in half.
Opening hours and prices
Usually the aquarium is open to visitors from 9 am to 6 pm seven days a week. During some periods it works later, until 9pm:
- in July and August (school holidays);
- October 1-7 (in honor of the National Day of the People's Republic of China);
- during 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 yuan will be:
- for adults - 160 (depending on the exchange rate, this is 1560 rubles);
- for children whose height is 1-1, 4 m - 110 (1070 rubles);
- for the elderly (from 70 years old) - 90 (880 rubles);
- for visitors with disabilities - 70 (680 rubles).
Also offered to purchase an annualsubscription for 388 yuan (3800 rubles). There are also complex tickets for visiting several objects. For example, an excursion to the aquarium and the TV tower will cost 310 yuan (3020 rubles).
Reviews are not only positive
Most visitors leave the aquarium happy and overwhelmed, but that doesn't mean there aren't negative reviews about this place.
What you might not like about the aquarium:
- unlike Beijing, it does not include a show with marine life;
- because of the bright artificial light, photos are not very good quality;
- no way to return to the previous floor or re-pass through the tunnel;
- difficult to go to the aquarium and take a photo because of the huge number of people;
- glasses of the aquarium from the bottom are often dirty due to careless visitors, which impairs inspection.
Positive responses are caused primarily by the largest of the presented marine life: giant turtles, sharks, crabs.
Impressive guests and climatic diversity. For example, there is always snow in the area with penguins.
Extreme lovers are always happy to swim with sharks.
