Immersive aquarium show promotes ocean protection
- By Zhang Rui
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E-mail China.org.cn, June 9, 2021
Beijing Aquarium celebrated World Ocean Day on June 8 by putting on an immersive aquarium show that delighted visitors and children.
"Hello Ocean: A Fantastic Trip for Xixi," is a nighttime family immersive show adapted from a picture book series for children. It combines singing and dancing, dazzling lighting, virtual reality (VR) projection, and delicate and dreamy set design based on aquarium tanks that hold real ocean animals, with performers dressed like cartoonish sea creatures to entertain visitors touring the aquarium. Besides creating an immersive experience, the show also promotes ocean protection.
"We hope we can continue to present a rich and colorful tour experience to help the public to know more about the ocean, marine life and marine ecology. We hope our efforts will contribute to the construction of a marine ecological civilization and to the protection of the ocean from various kinds of pollution, overfishing and so on," said Wang Zhechen, general manager of Beijing Aquarium, located in the Beijing Zoo.
Wang pointed out that the ocean is not only the home for many types of marine life, but also the cradle of human civilization. "Our Earth is not divided into islands by the ocean, but is connected by the ocean into a community of shared future," he stressed. "Beijing Aquarium will always adhere to the original aspiration of 'caring for marine animals and safeguarding our planet' and actively devotes itself to the construction of a marine ecological civilization."
The general manager told China.org.cn that the COVID-19 outbreak was the biggest crisis for the aquarium in its entire 22 years of operation, as well as for the cultural tourism industry on the whole. "But we have overcome and survived," he said. "During the pandemic, our management and staff sacrificed a lot and guaranteed the continued good life of our creatures despite the challenges."
The "Hello Ocean" show has been popular since its debut on April 30. It is also a new attempt to explore the nighttime economy for the aquarium, which used to close at 5:30 p.m. Dai Bing, the show's consultant and the vice president of China Children's Drama Society, said they believed children can still enjoy the nighttime shows. He added that Beijing Aquarium is a trailblazer by staging such indoor immersive live-action shows, the first of its kind.
Qu Zhengxing, the executive producer for the show, said he hoped "Hello Ocean" can plant seeds promoting ocean protection into children's hearts as well as giving a new opportunity for parents to accompany their children along the journey. "I believe parents' love for their children is the same all over the world, and they must hope they can leave behind a blue and pure ocean to their children," Qu said.
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