New Depths at Ocean Park in Hong Kong | The Jakarta Globe

New Depths at Ocean Park in Hong Kong The Jakarta Globe


Hong Kong singer and actress Gigi Leung beamed as she walked through the new gates of Ocean Park Hong Kong.


“It’s new, it’s amazing, it’s very colorful,” she said.

A native of Hong Kong, Leung has a lot of fond memories of the park. “My parents and I always came here two or three times a year when I was a child,” the 34-year-old actress said.

But this is not the same Ocean Park from Leung’s childhood.

The park was opened by Hong Kong Governor Murray MacLehose in January 1977. The Hong Kong Jockey Club funded the construction cost of 150 million Hong Kong dollars($19 million), while the land was provided for free by the Hong Kong government.

Since then, the park has grown to become the city’s premier educational park, with about 35 attractions and rides. The park is managed by a statutory body, the Ocean Park Corporation, which was appointed by the government.

In 2008, an ambitious master redevelopment program costing $5.55 billion Hong Kong dollars began. It’s goal is to transform Ocean Park into a world-class marine-based theme park.

On Jan. 27, the new and improved Ocean Park opened its new flagship attraction, Aqua City, an event that also marked the halfway point in the park’s overall master redevelopment plan.

The opening of Aqua City also coincided with the opening of the park’s elaborate new main entrance, effectively marking the second most important milestone in the park’s history.

Aqua City, which covers a sprawling 200,000 square feet within the park’s 88.6-hectare