Letters | Ocean Park Hong Kong: let the people redesign future of much-loved attraction
I remember those hot, sweaty days spent as a child during the 1990s at Hong Kong’s home-grown theme park. Ocean Park always carried a sense of expectation, magic and surprise. I remember my older brother and I pleading with our parents to go, and after several weeks they would relent.
Our parents and helper would take us there during the hot and humid summer weekends. Nothing better than the Raging River to cool you down! Splash! Next up, a fascinating yet calming stroll through the aquarium. One of my favourite rides was the cable car. It served as a well-needed rest but also a chance to appreciate the views of Hong Kong’s unique landscape.
When I became a teenager, Ocean Park still carried similar emotions for me, but I probably leaned towards the thrill-seeking found in the Abyss turbo drop or other rides with like-minded friends. What was constant, though, was that after I got home and had had a well-needed shower, I was spent and slept like a baby.
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Business model revamp will help Hong Kong’s Ocean Park stay afloat, says chairman Lau Ming-wai
As a graphic designer based in Shanghai, I have noticed that in mainland China, there are open competitions judged by industry leaders across the world for independent designers or teams to rebrand places, from heritage spaces to new developments, such as the Phoenix Hill sports park in Chengdu. I entered this contest with my former colleague in Hong Kong and our design was shortlisted among the top 50 concepts.
Ocean Park is crying out for change. The government should offer a design competition open to the public to reimagine the identity and experience of a landmark so special to Hongkongers. Ocean Park needs more than a functional injection in the arm; it also needs an injection of creativity and new energy.
Whatever the future holds for Ocean Park, I look forward to when travel returns to normal and I can visit the park on a hot and humid day, play hard and then sleep like a baby, just like old times.
Henry Chung, Shanghai and Tai Po
