07 Apr 2014
World’s largest aquarium makes waves in China
BY Jason Holland
A new US$806.5m (€587m, £486m) aquatic theme park in China has broken five Guinness World Records on opening and is now officially recognised as the largest aquarium on the planet.
Chimelong Ocean Kingdom is the brainchild of PGAV Destinations, which served as the attraction’s lead strategist, planner, designer, and product developer. It is the company’s first full theme park design in Asia, although PGAV has previously designed Hong Kong’s Grand Aquarium and an attraction at the Museum of Qin Terra-cotta Warriors and Horses in Xi’an, China.
The park, which was constructed over a three-year period, officially opened on Saturday 29 March. It is part of Chimelong Hengqin Bay Hotel, the largest ocean ecological-themed hotel in China. Both the park and the hotel are owned by the Chimelong Group, which has invested more than US$3.3bn (€2.4bn, £1.99bn) into the project. The group also operates Chimelong Paradise in Guangzhou – China’s biggest theme park.
As well as the largest aquarium accolade, Chimelong Ocean Kingdom has set records for having the world's biggest underwater viewing dome, aquarium window, acrylic panel, and aquarium tank, which contains 22.7m litres of water.
Rowan Simons, president of Guinness World Records Greater China, said: “To become the world’s largest aquarium requires phenomenal creative vision and immense engineering efforts. The result is an incredible attraction experience.”
There are seven themed areas inside the park, each representing a part of the ocean. It also features rides, thousands of animals, a 5D cinema, a circus, retail and dining.
Al Cross, PGAV Destinations VP and project lead, added: “Ocean Kingdom has a really unique approach that blurs the lines between thrilling rides, great shows, and amazing animals – it’s one of the best efforts in Asia to create viewing interactions between people and animals.”
Among the rides at the park is Asia’s first winged rollercoaster, ‘Flying over the Rainforest’, as well as what PGAV describes as “a wholly unique attraction which combines a roller coaster and a live polar bear exhibit.”
After its soft opening at the start of 2014, the park attracted more than 500,000 visitors during the Chinese New Year.
The aquatic theme park is also a major part of the development project being undertaken by Chimelong on the island of Hengqin. Modelled on Orlando, FL in the US, Zhuhai Hengqin Chimelong Ocean Resort will be set across 7.8sq km (3sq m) and is to feature a golf course, yachting centre, sports facilities, theatres, convention centres, a flower park, and a science centre.
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