South Gate of Workers’ Stadium
10/6591-3397
www.blue-zoo.com [1]
HOURS: Winter daily 8:30 a.m.-6:30 p.m.,
summer daily 8 a.m.-8 p.m.
COST: ¥75 adults, ¥50 children under 12;
children under 1 meter (39 in.) tall free
METRO: Chaoyangmen (Line 2)
Especially fun for children, and great for adults in need of a change of scenery, the Blue Zoo was one of the first walkthrough aquariums in China. It was opened in 1997 by Jim Bolger, then-Prime Minister of New Zealand, during a visit to Beijing, and is the largest and most comprehensive of its kind in Asia.
In addition to its 110-meter-long (360 ft.) acrylic viewing tunnel, Blue Zoo is home to an artificial ecosystem containing 3.5 million liters (924,600 gal.) of salt water, plus 18 other tanks containing over 6,000 species from every possible aquatic environment: oceans, rivers, estuaries, mangroves, and tidal basins. Feeding time happens twice a day.
Links:
[1] http://www.blue-zoo.com