Beijing Aquarium (běi jīng hǎi yang guǎn 北京海洋馆), the world's largest inland aquarium, is located on the north bank of the Chang River within the Beijing Zoo. It covers 120,000 square meters with a construction area of 42,000 square meters and integrates marine animals watching, scientific education and entertainment into a whole body.

Beijing Aquarium is a magnificent architecture shaped like a huge conch shell parking itself on the beach of the Beijing Zoo embraced by green trees and clusters of beautiful flowers. It has the world's advanced life support system that uses artificial salt water totaling as much as 18,000 tons. The seven exhibition halls in the building were designed delicately to encompass seven topics with the purpose of “cultivating the people, educating students, and protecting ecological environment” and they are “ Rainforest Adventure” , “Tidal Encounter” , “wonders of coral reefs” , “Shark Wharf”, “rare Chinese sturgeon hall” , “whales and globefish gulf” , and “Marine Mammal Pavilion”









Thousands of marine species can be found in the aquarium with tens of thousands of them on exhibition or being raised there. By showing these varied collections of species to visitors and introducing precious endangered animals, as well as presenting excellent marine animals shows and conducting various science education activities, Beijing Aquarium helps to educate the people on the knowledge about aquatic creatures, learn of oceanic tales, and foster their awareness of the conservation and protection of environment.

The tourists can be cultivated and benefited from the visiting experience and become more conscious of “love marine animals and protect the earth of our home”.

Beijing Aquarium has been ranked among the first batch of China AAAA National Attraction. It was also awarded the Model Group, the highest award in the 11th “Forbidden Cup” held by Beijing Municipal Bureau of Tourism and has been honored consecutively as “ Beijing 's civilized Tourist Scenic Spot”. Ever since it was opened in March 1999, it has attracted more than 7 million tourists home and abroad and is widely recognized.

Beijing Aquarium has been granted as the marine
popular science education base and the base of popular-science education for juveniles by many governments and institutes and has become a base and publicizing platform of many scientific research institutes for their research on the domestication and artificial reproduction of aquatic creatures. The aquarium is contributing itself to the work of marine science popularization and aquatic creatures' protection and research by resort of its own resources.

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Address
Xizhimenwai Dajie, Haidian District
tel: (010) 6217 6655 (info)
Transport
underground rail: Xizhimen, then 104, 205 or 106, or walk
bus: 4 (from Qianmen)
Open Hours:
Oct-May: 09:00 - 17:30 ; Jun-Sep: 09:00 - 18:00

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Tickets

• Aquarium tickets include admission to Beijing Zoo
• Adults: 100 yuan. (Up to two children under 1.2 metres admitted free with each adult).
• Students: 50 yuan (persons above 1.2 meters and under 18 years old admitted as students. Must show students certificates at the entrance. Not including college students.) Seniors: 50 yuan (over 60, must provide senior certificate or other valid certificates)
• Seniors above75 years old are admitted free
• (Notice: seniors admitted free must be accompanied by adults who buy the tickets as regulated for the safety of the seniors.)
• Tickets for individuals are sold at all tickets outlets of Beijing Zoo and the ticket outlet of Beijing Aquarium
• Tickets for groups are sold at group sales department of Beijing Aquarium
• Information from: BJ-sea.com