Riding the wave of surging Labor Day holiday travel driven by extended break arrangements, Shanghai's cultural and tourism market has hit a peak travel period.
As a local tourism landmark, Shanghai Haichang Ocean Park in the Pudong New Area has launched a raft of innovative offerings, including collaboration with hit Chinese anime IP "Blades of the Guardians," 16 spectacular live shows, 10 upgraded marine animal performances, and a grand mythical creature spectacle, creating a comprehensive all-day-and-night tourism experience for visitors.
To accommodate the surge in visitors, the park extended its opening hours to include evening sessions starting May 1, delivering round-the-clock immersive experiences.
During the holiday, the ongoing Rare Ocean Festival has unlocked a host of fantastical experiences on unique marine species. Visitors can explore habitats home to 100,000 marine animals, and get an up-close look at 20 rare species for the first time, including the hand-shaped sea hare and the venomous reef stonefish, one of the world's most toxic fish.
The newly upgraded shows have amplified the festive atmosphere. In the beluga area, performers dance underwater with belugas, blending gentle, taiji-like spins and dynamic, swift movements, merging Eastern aesthetics with the vitality of the ocean.
Stepping outdoors, visitors will enter a spring fairyland reminiscent of Alice in Wonderland. The park blends marine animal elements with vibrant floral displays to create immersive artistic landscapes. Themed ocean parades merge with stilt performances, while original IP shows including Goblet and 24 Solar Terms take the stage.
A mobile "street art museum" also makes surprise appearances with performers recreating classic masterpieces like the Mona Lisa for picture-perfect photo ops. From live performances and interactive installations to stilt parades and art pop-up, the whole park crafts a recurring "emotional destination" for visitors.
As a key cultural crossover draw, the pop-up exhibition debut of "Blades of the Guardians" adapted from a popular martial arts comic series has been launched at the park, kicking off a two-month, first-of-its-kind immersive themed event on Labor Day.
Visitors can embark on a journey into the world of "Blades of the Guardians," completing six challenges including bounty mission assignments and treasure hunts for an immersive experience. Multiple daily coser pop-up and traditional escort-themed live performances bring visitors into the martial arts world.
An underwater martial arts adventure also takes center stage. The world's first "Blades of the Guardians" underwater live mermaid show debuts in an eight-meter-deep aquarium.
As night falls, a series of blockbuster shows will start in succession. Leading the evening lineup is the cyberpunk-style polar bear mecha parade, featuring a 10-meter-tall polar bear mecha leading a 200-meter-long procession through the crowds. Soaring above the parade is a 20-meter-long giant flying Aoyu (mythical fish creature), illuminated with glowing lights and piercing eyes, embodying the ancient mythological power of the auspicious creature from Lingnan culture – a symbol of academic and career success.
Crafted from carbon fiber and utilizing helium suspension technology, the flying Aoyu makes its debut, delivering a visual spectacle.
Following the parade, an international light show premieres with cutting-edge projection technology bringing oceanic fantasies to life on Shanghai's only "polar glacier" installation. A giant polar bear projected on the iceberg rears and roars, setting a dreamy, artistic tone for the entire park. As the light projections fade, 1,000 drones paint intricate patterns in the night sky, paired with spectacular fireworks displays that light up the bay, blending romantic starry formations and pyrotechnic brilliance.
The land-water-air nighttime extravaganza extends visitor stay time and serves as a powerful catalyst for nighttime cultural consumption.
To manage the high visitor volume, the park has rolled out comprehensive service and operational upgrades. The frequency of daytime and evening marine animal shows has been doubled, with additional performances of popular attractions and stilt theater shows added to the schedule.
The park extended its daily operating hours to 9pm throughout the holiday, with special drone and fireworks shows added from May 1 to May 4. It has secured 4,000 temporary parking spaces in surrounding areas in addition to its 2,000 on-site parking spots, and deployed additional staff to optimize visitor flow within venues. Temporary food and beverage outlets have been added across the park.
If you go:
Tel: 5060-6666
Address: 166 Yinfei Rd, Pudong New Area
浦东新区银飞路166号
