To celebrate its 40th Anniversary, Ocean Park officially launched a year-long celebration today, featuring a host of exciting activities and special offers under the theme of “Making Memories”. The festivities kicked off with a limited-time offer for Hong Kong residents. From 11 January, 4:00 p.m. onwards to 22 January 2017, local residents can purchase admission tickets (both adult and child) for just HK$40 from the Park’s official website. Limited to 4,000 locals per day, these special tickets are valid for entry on any chosen day between 16 and 22 January 2017.
At the ceremony, the Park revealed a number of special programmes, including: a community-care initiative – a collaboration between Ocean Park, Chinachem Group and 18 District Councils; and the Park’s first-ever partnership with Modern Education Research Society Ltd. to create exclusive, conservation-oriented educational materials for local kindergartens. The Park also unveiled the results of the popular “Making Memories” Photo Contest, and recognised current and retired long-serving staff.
Ocean Park has also launched an extensive series of merchandise in collaboration with well-known local and international brands, including Kee Wah Bakery, one of the city’s most classic brands; Chicks, an iconic Hong Kong garment company; Ten Ren Tea, a tea company adored by Hong Kong residents; LeSportsac, a renowned bags and accessories brand; and Wooderful Life, a popular wooden music box brand.
The launch ceremony was officiated by: the Honourable C Y Leung, Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region; the Honourable Mr. Gregory So Kam-leung, Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development; Miss Cathy Chu Man-ling, Commissioner for Tourism; Dr. Peter Lam, Chairman of Hong Kong Tourism Board; Mr. Payson Cha, Mr. Philip Chen and Dr. Allan Zeman, the Park’s past chairmen; Mr. Leo Kung, Chairman of Ocean Park; Mr. Lau Ming-wai, Deputy Chairman of Ocean Park; Ms. Judy Chen, Chair of Ocean Park Conservation Foundation Hong Kong and Mr. Matthias Li, Chief Executive of Ocean Park.
Ocean Park opened its gates on 10 January 1977 with a mission to serve the community, with a 100-hectare land grant from the Hong Kong Government and initial funding from The
Hong Kong Jockey Club for the construction and operation in the first decade. To date, the Club has funded over HK$736 million to the Park towards its development and operation.
To support local education outside of the Park, and train the next generation of conservation advocates, Ocean Park has partnered with Ocean Park Conservation Foundation (OPCFHK) and Modern Education Research Society to tailor-make, publish and distribute exclusive course materials related to nature conservation. The course material includes a storybook of conservation tales – featuring seven new Ocean Park mascots, and three “big books” (shared classroom resources) which come with a teacher’s guide. The program targets over 130,000 kindergarten students and aims to educate them on a range of conservation topics.
Throughout the years, the Park has contributed to conservation in the wild through OPCFHK, which the Park founded in 1995 and continues to support through significant annual donations. In 2016 alone, Ocean Park donated a total of HK$12 million to OPCFHK. Mr. Lau Ming-wai, Deputy Chairman of Ocean Park presented a cheque to OPCFHK during today’s ceremony. It was received by Ms. Judy Chen, Chair of Ocean Park Conservation Foundation Hong Kong and celebrity Karena Lam.
Ocean Park is part of the city’s collective memory and to encourage Hong Kong residents to reminisce about their great times at the Park over the past four decades, the Park launched the “Making Memories” Photo Contest in December 2016. The contest was extremely popular, with over 5,200 entries. The winning photo garnered over 2,000 votes. The winner received four Ocean Park SmartFun Annual Premium passes, each with a 10-year validity, during the ceremony today.
About Ocean Park
Ocean Park is Hong Kong’s unique home grown theme park with a heritage of delivering family fun and fond memories. Since its opening in January 1977 as a non-profit organisation, Ocean Park has developed itself to be a world-class attraction connecting people with nature, and gained consistent recognition for its animal husbandry, research and relationship with the community. More than 130 million people have visited Hong Kong’s premier park since its inception, and Ocean Park has remained committed to offering adults and children experiences that blend entertainment with education and conservation. Ocean Park is the first theme park in Asia to win this international award since its inception in 1980.
Ocean Park – Giving Back to the Community
As Hong Kong People’s Park, Ocean Park has launched different initiatives that includes: 1) concessionary admission for Hong Kong residents on their birthdays, Hong Kong residents aged 65 years and above, and holders of Registration Card for People with Disabilities; and 2) sponsored admission to individuals and members of families receiving assistance from the Comprehensive Social Security Assistance Scheme (CSSA), and Social Welfare Department member organizations. The Park also gives donation-in-kind to charitable organizations, offers special rates for school tours, and spearheads many other community caring projects. During the 2015/16 fiscal year, Ocean Park maintained a total of 14 social care programs, with over 529,000 beneficiaries and an aggregate value to the community equivalent to over HK$180 million.
