To reign in good wishes for the city during the Year of the Horse, Ocean Park is participating once again in the 2014 Cathay Pacific International Chinese New Year Night Parade hosted by the Hong Kong Tourism Board. This year, Ocean Park’s float transforms into a world of mysterious underwater fantasy where a seadragon, seahorses and bubbly fishes join hands with the heroic sawfish in wishing everyone a joyful and prosperous Year of the Horse. The float also sets the stage for the upcoming brand new attraction, Shark Mystique, which will be unveiled to the public later this year with the aim of promoting marine protection and conservation.
To match the theme of the celebration float, Ocean Park’s mascots Whiskers and James will gear up as ocean explorers and celebrate with songs and dances with a variety of marine animals like seahorse, shrimp, crab and tropical fish. For the first time, a group of around 30 children of different nationalities will also be transformed into little starfish, dolphins and lobsters to usher in the Year of the Horse with fun and powerful dances.
Ms. Vivian Lee, Executive Director of Sales & Marketing at Ocean Park, said, “This is a great opportunity for the community to see our adorable marine animals such as the seadragons, seahorses and sea jellies, and to meet these children of different nationalities who will share their New Year greetings and spread messages on marine conservation. We hope that more people will be inspired to think for their future generations and the marine animals, and to take actions in their daily lives to protect the beautiful oceans.” Ms. Lee also said that the float will serve as a preview for the Shark Mystique, which will allow guests to view different species of sharks at a close distance. The exhibit is planned with the expectation of sparking guests’ interest and curiosity in sharks, and to raise public attention on the imminent need to push for shark conservation.
Similar to previous years, eco-friendly designs are employed throughout the “Ocean Park Underwater Fantasy” float, including the installation of LED lights to reduce power consumption, and the re-using of old CDs to simulate the dynamic imagery of flowing water on the float. Ms. Lee said, “Plastics are the main source of marine debris. By using old CDs as a production material for the float, we expect to raise the public’s awareness on the importance of using environmental friendly and energy-saving materials.”
Feel the Breath of Love at the Ocean Park Lunar Lucky Fiesta
To celebrate the vitality of the Year of the Horse, Ocean Park invites the internationally renowned Xian An Zhishun Percussion Troupe to perform songs written by the "King of Drums", An Zhishun himself, in a spectacular acrobatics routine in the Fortune Laden Beats performance at the Waterfront! Apart from the amazing drum performance, the Fusion CNY Dance Party is bound to take the festive spirit to new heights! This dance spectacular brings signature moves from the East and West together in a unique fusion of dances mimicking a horse’s movements to weave a stunning visual treat for audiences this New Year! The Golden Lions Street Dance Celebration also adds a twist to the traditions by injecting modern beat and street dance steps into the traditional Chinese New Year lion dance, making a fun and “funky” spin to rock and roar the beginning of a New Year. Don’t forget to visit the God of Fortune Palace where the God of Fortune waits to meet guests and give out lucky red packets!
The widely admired world-class aerial show “Aqua Voyage” continues to air throughout Chinese New Year, telling the story about a young girl discovering a hidden dreamland of sea fairies and sea urchins underwater after a mysterious shipwreck. The show combines stunts, dance and acrobatics to create graceful motions as the performers challenge the limits of the human body in perfectly synchronised moves, including quadruple trapeze, aerial silk dance, the daring “Flying Fox”, and other jaw-dropping jumps and somersaults. The realistic backdrop design, coupled with stunning lighting and sound effects all add to the extraordinary sensory experience, leaving our guests with a laughter-filled Chinese New Year.
To complement this year’s Chinese Valentine’s Day, which falls on the same day as the Western Valentine’s Day, Ocean Park has specially prepared an array of romantic spots, including The Peach Blossom Garden, Lucky Blossom Bubble, Pony of Prosperity and the Tunnel of Love for lovers to go for a romantic stroll. Don’t forget to request a little luck in love from Yue Lao at his God of Romance Palace too!
Kids can also join in the celebration by learning all about the history and meaning of lucky pinwheels, and even make their very own to take home at the Kid’s Pinwheels Workshop at Whiskers Harbour! Together with sweet peach-themed photo spots, kids will create memories to savour year-round!
