The Shanghai Haichang Ocean Park located waaaay out in Pudong near Dishui Hu, opened for trial operations on October 1 with fanfare, waterworks and excitement. It's got freaking everything. Five major biomes! Six exhibition venues! A giant volcano! A resort! Jetskis! Those water-powered jetpacks! Polar bears! A submarine restaurant! Underwater mermaid shows! But hold your seahorses, Aquaman. Foreigners can't get in until November 20.

Since we're in soft opening now (the laws of soft open are ironclad), only people carrying shenfenzheng, ie. Chinese ID, can buy tickets via their website. Standard tickets (which include one child under 1m) are 330rmb on weekdays, 399rmb on weekends/peak days, or 190/249rmb for kids and seniors. November 16 is their grand opening, but foreigners still won't be able to get in until the box office opens fully on November 20. They can't accept ticket purchases with passports before that, you see. All things going according to plan, ie. the polar bears don't get suicidal or the orcas don't magically reduce their natural life span by like 150%, the rest of us will be let in on November 20. Free Willie!