China
The Shanghai Ocean Aquarium is arguably the best and most popular aquarium in the Far East. Though not quite as large as some of its top rivals, it boasts one of the longest and most amazing submarine viewing tunnels anywhere in the world. There are exhibits from nine different ocean environments, making it one of the broadest in terms of diversity as well.
Over the last few decades, the city of Shanghai has been completely overhauled into the ultramodern face of China. Among the many projects the city undertook to develop itself was the creation of a state-of-the-art aquarium facility as a tourism showpiece. It opened in 2002, and was not only an overnight sensation, but an inspiration for a new generation of aquariums around the world.
The Shanghai Aquarium has 1.3 million gallons in environments, the largest being nearly 600,000 gallons. The aquarium’s showpiece is its massive tunnel, which runs for well over the length of a football field through five environments, including open ocean, several reefs and a cave. Among the most popular species are the Humboldt Penguin, Spotted Seal and numerous varieties of Shark.
The Shanghai Ocean Aquarium is located in the city center on the south bank of the Huangpu River. It is open year round from 9:00am-6:00pm. The cost of admission is RMB160.00. Web: www.sh-aquarium.com (official website).
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