When the world’s largest ocean theme park opened in Hengqin, Zhuhai, near Macau, in 2014 [see Attractions Management Q3 14], there was much excitement and fanfare in China. As the second “world-class” theme park in China for national developers Guangdong Chimelong Group, Chimelong Ocean Kingdom quickly began gathering accolades for being the biggest and best. It holds five Guinness World Records for its enormous whale shark aquarium.

Nearly 12 months on, Chimelong Ocean Kingdom has established itself as a major attraction. Competition however, is beginning to heat up. China is undergoing a theme park boom at the moment, with a number of established international operators either in construction or signing on dotted lines, including Disney, Universal, Atlantis and Village Roadshow Theme Parks.

I paid a visit to Chimelong Ocean Kingdom to find out if it lives up to the hype, not only as a domestic park but also as a serious international player.

THE OFFER
A visit to Ocean Kingdom is a full day experience, especially if you plan to ride all the major rides and see the shows, parade and fireworks display which are included in the ticket price. The park’s eight themed areas include the main street entry precinct, 11 marine animal exhibits, five shows and 10 attractions, including a games arcade. For an additional charge, you can purchase a ticket to the circus performance, which is a major part of the Chimelong Ocean Resort mixed-use development.

The park closes at 9pm with the spectacular Glamorous Sky Over Hengqin fireworks. The circus performance begins at 8pm and the fireworks begin at 8:30pm, so guests with a combination ticket would miss the fireworks display.

TICKETING
Tickets for Ocean Kingdom are available via numerous sites online, including the official theme park and Chimelong’s Hengqin Bay Hotel website, as well as websites for the major Chinese package tour providers. You can also buy tickets in person at one of the 32 ticket booths at the front gate. Packages include single-day tickets, season passes and bundled tickets that include entry to Chimelong’s International Circus City. Most tickets are only valid for the day. Family tickets cover two adults and a child – typical for China, but not enough for many foreign families.

ATTRACTIONS
Guangdong Chimelong Group takes the “hybrid” park to the next level at Ocean Kingdom, locating rides alongside animal exhibits. The best example is the Polar Explorer flume ride, which weaves through the bear enclosure for an up-close view of the animals. The 10 major rides include coasters by Bollinger & Mabillard and Mack. Smaller rides include dodgems and a carousel. This mix is commensurate with other world-class attractions and complements the aquariums and exhibits without dominating the park.

EXHIBITS
The aquariums and marine exhibits have all been built on a grand scale. The behemoth-sized whale shark aquarium that presides over the main lagoon is testament to this: it’s the first and last thing you see as you enter and leave the park and creates an impressive background for the fireworks and light shows. Both shows are truly world class and if the guests stay long enough to see them, they’ll leave with great memories.
However, the quality of the exhibits is not world-class. Water quality in the aquariums is poor and floating debris from fish and animal waste is clearly visible. Underwater viewing is also negatively impacted by the level of algae growth on the rock and reef formations. This points to an incorrect balance in the life support systems within the park – an aspect that is critical to long-term animal health and welfare, as well as visitor experience.

Animal husbandry also appears to fall below industry standards. The brown bear exhibit is no more than a series of narrow ledges and didn’t include any enrichment for the animals, other than guests throwing food at the bears at feeding times. The pool in the polar bear enclosure was fenced off to them by a heavy duty wire fence (no explanation was offered to guests) and the remainder of the enclosure did not contain any entertainment for the animals, all of which seemed extremely lethargic on display.

Marine exhibits and shows are a big hit at Ocean Kingdom. Live animal shows are popular with Chinese and when I visited, each show was packed. In Chimelong’s literature, it says the park is “committed to inspire public awareness on animal care and conservation” yet the sea lion, beluga and dolphin shows are acrobatic performances with little or no information on the animals’ habits, habitat, status or conservation challenges. Similarly, the exhibits’ interpretive and educational signage does not touch on conservation.

FOOD AND BEVERAGE
For Asian visitors, F&B options at Ocean Kingdom are plentiful, appetising and suitably priced by theme park standards. The park offers a good mix of buffet-style restaurants, fast-food kiosks and carts throughout the park. Western options are limited and as more international operators enter the market, the variety and quality of F&B will need to improve.

STAFF
Staff were well presented, friendly and approachable. Ride operators were diligent and performed their safety tasks with discipline. Basic English was spoken in much of the park. Service in some areas lacked urgency and needs to improve.

RETAIL
Ocean Avenue – the park’s main entry precinct – is lined with retail outlets. It’s the familiar retail range, but the quality of the merchandise is surprisingly good considering the price points. Retail designers have gone to a lot of effort to create a range specific to the park.Ride photography is available on four attractions but quality is compromised because photos are printed on paper stock. Camera placement is quite poor.

CLEANLINESS
Attendance was relatively low on the day of my visit so staff were not under pressure. On the whole, the park grounds were clean, bins were emptied, restroom staff plentiful and attentive. While the absence of rubbish and the presence of staff are good, a closer inspection revealed a build-up of dirt and grime in corners and crevices. This is unacceptable in a park that’s only a year old and a stark reminder of the power of experienced line management with an eye for detail.

In China, air quality is a major problem and you can already see evidence of pollution building up on external decorations and facades. Management needs a system to deal with this to prevent the park from looking tired too quickly, which it already does in parts.

DESIGN
There’s a great deal to like about the Ocean Kingdom design. From the giant Manta Ray, complete with LED screen underbelly, that spans the entire main street precinct, to the 68-metre (223-foot) whale shark hero sculpture in the background, the scale of Chimelong’s endeavour is impressive.

The site takes excellent advantage of its bayside location on one aspect and the mountain vista on the other. Together, the large-scale design features and Zhuhai’s natural beauty make a truly awe-inspiring arrival statement for guests.

Theming is intricate and the colour scheme is vibrant and eye-catching. Soft landscaping is plentiful with established trees and bushes creating natural shade. There are signs that the paint scheme is starting to fade. Wear and tear is beginning to show on coloured and textured hard surfaces and the joinery is showing some distress. In the aquarium, exhibits show obvious signs of cracking and spalling in the concrete work and in one instance, an entire viewing window had been removed for “maintenance” after less than 12 months. Combined with the obvious deficiencies in the water quality, these maintenance issues impact on the overall enjoyment of the experience.

SUMMARY
Chimelong’s Ocean Kingdom is certainly a major step forward in theme park development for the domestic Chinese market. However, it takes more than an innovative concept and colourful design to create a truly world-class attraction.

In general, where Chinese developments start with innovative ideas, too often they fail to deliver a quality product due to a lack of experience and attention to detail in construction and operations. As it stands, Ocean Kingdom doesn’t quite deliver a international-standard experience.

As long as Chinese consumer expectations remain relatively unsophisticated in the attractions market, Chimelong may retain its position as a leader. However, once the major international operators establish themselves in China and showcase first-class attractions benchmarked by world-class standards, Ocean Kingdom will need to raise its game to compete.