Shanghai Oceanarium　上海海洋水族馆

Shanghai Oceanarium with a total floor space of 22,400 m² was open to the public on February 7, 2002.

The theme of Shanghai Oceanarium is "Traveling through the Five Continents in the Ocean World." There are eight sections that exhibit a respective theme of special feature and style, including some rare aquatic animals that are almost extinct in China. The sections are China (Asia) Section, Amazon (South America) Section, Australia Section, Africa Section, Antarctic Section, Sea Waters Section, Cold Waters Section, and Ocean Section. The aquatic animals come from all the continents of the world, about over 300 species with a total number of approximately 14,000. It is the second largest oceanarium in the world and the largest in Asia.

Shanghai Oceanarium consists of two buildings, the main and the attached. The main building is large in size, altogether five stories, two underground and three aboveground. The escalator in the lobby can take visitors straight to the first exhibition section on the third floor. Right in front, the 40-meter artificial waterfalls are pouring down torrentially, very imposing and spectacular. Fresh-water aquatic animals and fishes are swimming in the exhibition pond around the waterfalls. These are the animals on the verge of becoming extinct, from China, Australia, South America, etc., such as Chinese alligators, Chinese sturgeons, tree frogs, giant salamanders, and other rare species. The colorful rainbow fish give the visitors a sense of mystery, especially with artistic effects produced by the optical and acoustic facilities in the surroundings.

On the second floor of the main building are the five exhibition sections: Australia, Africa, Cold Water, Antarctic, and Sea Water. Here the visitors can see sawfish and silver sea perch from Australia, the huge spider crabs from Japan, the lovely penguins, the weedy sea dragons that look like Chinese dragons, and the demon-like jellyfish. These aquatic animals are so precious that they are specially attended on.

Basement Two of the main building has the highlight of this Oceanarium. Here is a 155-meter-long underwater tunnel, one of the longest viewing tunnels in the world. The large glass was imported from Japan, and the largest piece is 10 m × 2.9 m. Therefore, the visitor could enjoy a broader vision.

There are two parallel passages in the underwater tunnel, a moving passage and a walking passage. From the panoramic viewing through the glass, the visitor could feel as if he were deep in the sea, watching the mysterious sea world and the colorful, erotic sea creatures from different angles, appreciating the profoundness and broadness of the ocean.

The whole underwater tunnel meanders along through six sections: Sunfish, Offshore Coral, Sea Creature Specimens, Rocks, Sharks, and Coral Reefs.

In addition to exhibiting the aquatic animals from all the continents of the world, Shanghai Oceanarium especially sets up the exhibition hall of the human geographical environment of all the continents. In terms of different cultures and themes, with the help of different charts and graphic materials, the oceanarium employs hi-tech video facilities, analog devices, laser lighting, and holographic photos to create a special kind of audiovisual effect with perfection. It is a pioneering creation in China, which is also very rare in similar oceanariums in the world.

Address: No.158, North Yincheng Road

Tel.: 021-58779988

Open Hours: 8:00 - 16:30