Top 3 Shanghai Ocean Parks: Which one to go?

Location: next to Oriental Pearl Tower in Lujiazui, about 8 minutes’ walk from Lujiazui metro station

Shanghai Ocean Aquarium occupies the best location among the three best Shanghai ocean parks. Although it is not big compared with the Haichang Ocean Park, various freshwater and marine creatures from the world are raised there, including Australia's water-spouting fishes, African multi-fin fish, electric eels from South America, Antarctic penguins, sea horses, etc. This is also the only aquarium in the world having a special zone for Chinese native water animals, where you can see Yangtze alligators, Chinese sturgeons, giant salamanders and so on. On the underground floor, you can have a stroll along the transparent tunnels to see the sea animals swimming over your head. What’s more, visitors can learn a lot from the science exhibition introducing sea life.

Total Species & Number of Marine Animals: more than 15,000 of over 450 species
Time Needed for A Visit: 1-2 hours
Opening Hours: 09:00-18:00
Ticket Fare: CNY 160

Shanghai Ocean Aquarium Ticket Booking

Location: Inside Shanghai Changfeng Park, about 15 minutes’ walk from Daduhe Road metro station

Situated in Shanghai Changfeng Park, Changfeng Ocean World is also one of the best Shanghai ocean parks. Constructed under the lake in Changfeng Park, it is the smallest Shanghai ocean park among the three, but with plentifully enough marine animals. The living art zone was designed to be artistic as walls, the ceiling and the floor are in the same pattern in each hall, and the aquariums with fishes are embedded into the walls, like another world from the earth. In the transparent tunnel, you can see varieties of sharks; and in the mysterious shipwrecks-themed zone, you can see the marine life as well as learn Chinese ancient navigation stories. There is also a polar bear venue, where you can learn everything about polar bears, and touch an emulational polar bear in person. It’s a little bear cannot move so it won’t hurt anybody. Kids can touch starfishes in person as well. After the visit, you can have a stroll in the scenic Changfeng Park which is open for free.

Total Species & Number of Marine Animals: more than 300 species and 15,000 water lives
Time Needed for A Visit: about an hour
Opening Hours: 08:30-17:00
Ticket Fare: CNY 180

Location: Southeast Shanghai by Dishui Lake, about an hour’s drive from the Bund in downtown

Shanghai Haichang Ocean Park is a seaside Shanghai ocean park with diverse venues. It is also the largest ocean park nationwide. What may cause you inconvenient is, it is a little harder to reach compared with the above two Shanghai ocean parks. In this large sea world, tourists can get into five theme zones including mermaid bay, polar town, ice kingdom, underwater world and marine tribes, with incredible artificial landscapes respectively. You can see penguins swimming overhead via the glass, the polar bears, whale sharks, reefs and different jellyfishes in ceiling-to-floor cylindrical aquariums, and other various ocean lives in the underwater tunnels.

There are also wonderful performances for you, such as the “mermaid” show, killer whale scientific show, the performances of white whales, dolphins, walruses, and the feeding show. The float parade, Flyboard show, and the night electronic music party are also appealing. Apart from all above, Shanghai Haichang Ocean Park provides amusement projects, like rafting, roller coaster and cartoon car-driving in the underwater tunnels. 4D theater will make you have a further acquaintance with oceans.

Total Species & Number of Marine Animals: more than 300 species and 30,000 marine lives
Time Needed for A Visit: half day to one day
Opening Hours: 09:00-20:00 on weekdays, 09:00-20:30 on weekends
Ticket Fare: CNY 299 on usual days, CNY 360 on peak days