Crazy Filled Days - Part 2

So I felt like the last blog post was getting too long so I split it into 2 posts for you.

So the next day, after having a great sleep and finally adjusted to the time change, we decided to head out to the Beijing Zoo and Aquarium. We headed to the subway station near our hotel and grabbed the line to the zoo. It took about an hour to get there, but it was way cheaper than taking a taxi and we wanted to experience the transit within Beijing at least once on our visit.

Entrance into the zoo was CNY 15($2.35 CAD) and the aquarium was CNY 120($18.75 CAD). The zoo is home to roughly 450 different species and houses about 5,000 animals. They have both rare Chinese animals (Giant Panda and golden monkeys) and animals from the rest of the world including zebras, polar bears and american bison. The 2 most famous halls within the zoo are the Giant Panda Hall and the Gorilla Hall.

Giant Panda Hall
Covering an area of 2.5 acres, the Giant Panda Hall replicates a traditional Chinese garden. The zoo also takes into large consideration the needs of such large animals and strive to always make sure these endangered animals are properly cared for.

Gorilla Hall
built just 2 years before the Giant Panda Hall, the Gorilla Hall was constructed, housing many different climbing apparatuses for the gorillas. Within the hall, there is also a medical room, a mating room and a specialist feeding room. The hall is decorated with small pools and rock formations.

Next stop was the aquarium that was attached to the zoo. The Beijing Aquarium has 6 halls: Rainforest Wonder, Shark Hall, Whale and Dolphin Bay, Seabed Travel, Feel Pool and Ocean Theater.

Rainforest Wonder
This hall is made to depict a miniature rainforest that resembles the Amazon Basin which is home to over 100 species of rainforest fish and fresh water fish. Visitors can visit with sea elephants, man-eating fish and many other rare species found in that area of the world.

Shark Hall
When most people hear the word shark, they automatically think of giant killing machines. Visitors will be surprised to see that sharks are actually very calm and serene most of the time.

Whale & Dolphin Bay
When visitors enter the Whal & Dolphin Bay, they are entering the training school for schools of whales, dolphins and even sea lions. This hall is where these animals are professionally trained for performances and the Ocean Theater.

Seabed Travel
After walking through the undersea tunnel, you enter into a colorful and calm underwater world. The Seabed Travel Hall takes you to the bottom of the ocean where many different species of fish live. Visitors also have the opportunity to virtually shake hands with a sea turtle and even touch the underside of a great white shark.

Feel Pool
Just by the title of this hall i'm sure many of you can figure out what you can do there. The Feel Pool measures 39 yards long and resembles a long coastline. Here you can gently caress sea urchins, mollusks, sea stars and trumpet shells. Visitors can also watch the green turtles who swim about in the pool without a care in the world.

Ocean Theater
Finally, the last stop for us was the Ocean Theater where you can choose from about 6-8 differnt shows per day, including a water ballet or an ocean animal performance. You can see many different demonstrations at the many different halls but the Ocean Theater is where you will se the dolphins, whales and sea lions perform.

We had an absolute blast walking through the zoo and the aquarium. We decided on making this day pretty short and sweet because tomorrow is our big day: we are going to walk a part of the Great Wall of China! We are so excited to see the wall and we will update you guys later with our pictures and stories!