(Hong Kong – 11 January 2011) Ocean Park will present the most earthshaking festive rhythms in Hong Kong this Chinese New Year with its Lunar Lucky Fiesta event, which will run from 3 to 13 February 2011. Apart from enjoying the new flagship theme zone Aqua City for the world-class Grand Aquarium and the spectacular Symbio! show, guests will be thrilled by rousing drum performances by the internationally-acclaimed An Zhishun Percussion Troupe from Shaanxi. The entire Park will come alive with numerous performances, including face-changing shows and lion dances. Kids will also be treated to interactive touch-screen games and the opportunity to learn how to make drums. And with the God of Wealth on hand to give out red packets, Ocean Park will be hopping with fun and fortune!
Ocean Park’s newly launched flagship theme zone Aqua City will be the most auspicious site in this Chinese New Year with 5,000 fish swimming for joy in the Grand Aquarium. New conservation ambassadors, such as the manta ray, hammerhead sharks and Pacific bluefin tuna will be offering their first-ever Chinese New Year greeting to Park guests. For a most special New Year celebration, guests can scarcely do better than a festive feast at the Neptune’s Restaurant, where they will dine alongside lovable fish species, followed by the most auspicious show in Hong Kong—Symbio!, with colourful dragons dancing on a 360° water screen. Specially designed seasonal gifts and souvenirs will also be available for purchase at Aqua City’s brand new themed retail complex.
The Waterfront Plaza will be transformed into a dynamic Paradise of a Thousand Drums, where guests will be entertained by The Divine Percussionists, a dramatic drumming performance by the An Zhishun Percussion Troupe from Shaanxi. Led by Mr. An, revered as the “King of Drums” and the “Beethoven of Chinese Percussion”, the eleven daily performances will feature nearly 1,000 drums on a drum-shaped stage, bringing heart-pounding excitement to the Chinese New Year. The Troupe will perform their award-winning “Six Steeds of the Tang Dynasty”, a piece that pays tribute to Tang Dynasty emperor Taizong and his six legendary horses, as well as their signature “Dragon in the Sky”, which creatively combines heritage arts from the Shaanxi region to venerate the indefatigable spirit of the Chinese people.
Also at the Waterfront, kids will have a blast at Whiskers’ Harbour, where there will be a drum-making workshop to keep their hands busy. They can also try the interactive touch-screen games to learn about drumming. The Park has plenty of other offerings to get everyone into the mood of the New Year, including lion and dragon dance performances. The God of Wealth will also be on hand to give out red packets and scores of Golden Beautiful Bunnies will bring good luck to everyone.
To join the public in celebrating the arrival of the Year of the Rabbit, Ocean Park will be showcasing the Ocean Park Aqua City Float at the Cathay Pacific International Chinese New Year Night Parade hosted by the Hong Kong Tourism Board on 3 February 2010. True to the Park’s commitment to environmental conservation, the float will be constructed using green materials, including recycled materials and energy-saving LEDs, to present the beauty of the ocean, the new flagship Grand Aquarium, with manta rays and hammerhead sharks, as well as the new Symbio! show. In particular, Bonaqua Lightweight Bottles, made with less plastic than regular bottles, were creatively deployed to decorate various parts of the float. To help heighten the festive mood, a group of performers dressed up as marine animals will be dancing alongside the Float to deliver well wishes to the public.
Dr. Allan Zeman, Chairman of Ocean Park, said, “The launch of Aqua City is our Chinese New Year gift to Hong Kong and the world. With new state-of-the-art facilities, new animal ambassadors, new shows and performances, new retail and dining offerings, there is simply no better place to celebrate the Chinese New Year than at the New Ocean Park! We have also brought in the spectacular An Zhishun Percussion Troupe to create a truly festive atmosphere to complement all the laughter and well-wishes that will be filling the air. So I encourage everyone to plan ahead for a visit to Ocean Park during the limited period of Lunar Lucky Fiesta for an experience of this not-to-be-missed occasion of double-happiness!”
