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How many hours would you have to wait in line to see a panda in Korea?
“As soon as it became possible to line up for opening time, I tried to make a reservation through the app and waited for an hour during the weekday off-peak season,” wrote a blogger in a review, to which most people responded, “That’s a good measure.” On the last weekend after leaving Everland’s Fubao in March, when they ran from the main gate after the opening run and pressed the reservation button, they ended up waiting for six hours. Even this was followed by reviews saying that they were glad they could see Fubao and those saying that they were sad they couldn’t.
Even though Fu Bao is gone, pandas are still popular. According to Everland, an average of 7,000 people visited Panda World per day last year. During weekends and holiday seasons, the waiting time is said to be over 200 minutes. People wait in line for about 4 hours just to see the pandas for 5 minutes. Nevertheless, Everland Panda World is the only place in Korea where you can see pandas.
Even in peak season, it is deserted… Unlimited viewing on the first row
Instead of waiting in line for 4 hours, why not take a 4-hour flight overseas and see them? There is a pair of pandas in Hong Kong Ocean Park. You can watch them in the first row without waiting. As of 2024, the number of pandas in China is estimated to be about 2,500, of which about 1,600 live in Sichuan Province, where Fubao is. Therefore, it seems that it is not fierce to see pandas in other regions outside Sichuan.
![“Pandas, unlimited first-row viewing without waiting in line”… Enjoying leisure at Hong Kong Ocean Park[동아리]](https://dimg.donga.com/wps/NEWS/IMAGE/2024/08/22/126640960.1.jpg "“Pandas, unlimited first-row viewing without waiting in line”… Enjoying leisure at Hong Kong Ocean Park[동아리]")
Summer vacations in Hong Kong schools usually run from early July to late August, and most people go on summer vacation from late July to early August. The day the reporter visited Ocean Park was early August, which is the peak season in Hong Kong, but there were only about 30 visitors standing in front of the pandas. Hong Kong Ocean Park is home to a pair of giant pandas, Le Le and Ying Ying. The pandas were sent to Hong Kong in 2007 to commemorate the 10th anniversary of Hong Kong’s return to China. On this day, Ocean Park only showed one male panda, Le Le, because the female, Ying Ying, was about to give birth and was receiving special protection. Ying Ying was indoors and was being shown on a monitor. When visitors expressed regret over the pandas’ lack of movement, an Ocean Park official said, “They are still lucky,” and explained, “We pay special attention to the behavior and psychology of animals, and we do not force animals to move or move just to show them to humans.”
Leading the way in preserving rare animals… Panda snack feeding experience limited to 4 people per day
Yingying gave birth to twins on the 15th of this month. Since it was two weeks after her trip to Ocean Park, she was not able to see the twin baby pandas in person. Yingying, who gave birth a day before her 19th birthday, equivalent to 57 years old in human years, is said to be the oldest mother in the panda world.
Giant pandas are an endangered species, and it is known that the process of natural pregnancy and birth is very difficult. The fertile period is about 3 days out of the year, and the gestation period is 3 to 4 months.
The efforts of Ocean Park are behind the pandas’ success in naturally conceiving and giving birth while living in the zoo for 18 years. Ocean Park protects the animals by making their breeding environment as natural as possible. Ocean Park, which has over 20 separate habitats for each animal, has become a home for 390 rare animals over the past 10 years. In 2018, they received a pair of smuggled otters from the government and began protecting them. They have given birth to three cubs so far, and a family of 15 currently lives together.
Ocean Park does not have animal shows for humans, but operates about 20 ‘animal interaction experience’ programs. Through these programs, you can see meerkats, red pandas, seals, dolphins, penguins, and walruses up close, and even feed and touch them. However, in order to minimize stress on the animals, the number of participants in the programs is limited to a small number of people. In the case of the ‘Feed Pandas Snacks’ program, only one team per day, with a maximum of 4 people, is given the opportunity.
The Grand Aquarium also embodies this philosophy of Ocean Park. It is the largest aquarium in Asia, with over 100 sharks and over 200 species of marine life. Some people come here to see rare marine animals such as scallop sharks and manta rays. This place, which is magnificent with just light and sound, gives the feeling of exploring the deep ocean, but it is not crowded, so you can look around leisurely.
Ocean Park has received the five-year AZA (Association of Zoos & Aquariums) accreditation for five consecutive years. AZA accreditation requires strict animal welfare standards and is known as the most prestigious accreditation system. Ocean Park’s efforts to understand the animal habitat environment and behavior were evident in the leisurely movements of most animals that were not interested in visitors, non-aggressive penguins, and magnificent walruses that were over 3m tall. There were campaigns for animal protection and nature conservation in Ocean Park, and kiosks for donations were set up everywhere. Every evening at 7:15 PM, Ocean Park hosts a magnificent ‘Light Gala Show’ using water, fire, firecrackers, lasers, and media panels for 20 minutes. Of course, the theme of this show is the preciousness of nature.
A large-scale theme park with 150 soccer fields… and a 5-star hotel
Ocean Park has an Ocean Park of about 915,000㎡ (about 276,700 pyeong), a Water World of 200,000㎡ (61,100 pyeong), and two hotels. It is the size of about 150 soccer fields. There are attractions, a zoo, and an aquarium in Ocean Park, and Water World is a 15-minute drive away. Next to Ocean Park is the 4-star Marriott Hotel, and next to Water World is the 5-star Fullerton Hotel. The outdoor swimming pool of the Marriott Hotel is well-equipped for infants and toddlers, making it perfect for families who enjoy playing in the water at the hotel after visiting Ocean Park. The Fullerton Hotel is a newly built 5-star hotel that opened in 2022. You can see the sophisticated interior and spatial art such as sculptures. The hotel also has an infinity pool, making it a great place to stay quietly.
Water World has a total of 27 water attractions, including nine thrilling slides, surfing pools, and wave pools, located on three floors of indoor and outdoor water parks. Popular attractions, such as the 17m-high slide and the 400m-long slide, have real-time waiting times displayed on electronic boards. When I visited in early August, waiting times were mostly around 15 minutes. The waiting time for surfing, which is enjoyed by one person for 15 minutes, was 40 minutes.
Vivien Chan, Senior Manager of Ocean Park, said, “We are proud to say that Ocean Park is a place worth visiting in Hong Kong. It has all the attractions, water world, and zoo in one place, and the five-star hotels are reasonably priced compared to the city center. It is a great vacation destination for families and friends.”
Hwang So-young, Donga.com reporter [email protected]
2024-08-25 19:32:32