Two Days in Chimelong

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December 22nd 2016

Published: December 27th 2016

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MGKnife

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The Chimelong area is divided into 4 different attractions and a hotel facility, which offers discounts and bonuses to their clients. The Chimelong Safari Park, Chimelong Paradise (amusement park), the Chimelong International Circus (an evening event), and the Chimelong Water Park (which I will never visit because of my aquaphobia)). It took me two full day trips to see all of the 3 attractions I could allow myself to visit but I do warn you that it is an expensive place to visit but worth every RMB spent.

Chimelong Safari Park

I will start with the Chimelong Safari Park which, as the name suggest, is a preserve area turned into a profitable entertainment to protect wild animals while exposed them directly (in some cases) to humans. It is a very wonderful place to visit which includes not only seeing the animals in specially designed enclosures, but also train ride through an open preserve area, and shows both on stage and in open areas of the Safari Park. From this map, you understand that it is a bit of a maze to navigate around but far easier than some city streets layouts (which includes a large

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portion of Guangzhou).

I could list every type of animal I saw during this venture with a local guide (friend) that lived near to the Chimelong area. I will not since the photos will speak for themselves including those donated by my guide on this occasion. From bears, to monkeys, to birds, to snake, etc can be found in this park both in special viewing areas and in the “wild” section to one side of the central park. It is once again a very long walk to cover the complete area but worth every step and every break area which usually will have short shows with the animals and trainers/keepers. These short shows can range from a game of “keep away” or “king of the stump” between a trio of chimpanzees or a game of “catch” with medium sized birds. The stage show places in an open amphitheater consisted of a birds, different types of monkeys, a few pooh bears, and a stampeding brace of boars (mostly a mother and her piglets). All of it being a great performance nearly as wonderful as the myriad of animals found in here.

Included on the grounds

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is a veterinary hospital specifically for the animals of the Safari. One of the wings of this hospital is the maternity ward and protective area for mother and baby to recover before being released into the more spacious enclosures. This shows the devotion the management here have for their animals. It is more than a simple “zoo” but a place where they care for and protect some of the animals that are disappearing at an alarming rate in the jungles of the world. The more open area which has an electric train tour of, shows the animals in a more natural environment. This does not mean that the main section doesn’t give the animals a natural environment, just a smaller space with borders of human interaction. I believe that is the other benefit of the Chimelong Safari, actually chance to interact with the animals. They even give you a chance to feed some of the largest land mammals like the giraffes or the elephants. It is not a full exposure to all the animals since human interaction with predators would end badly in most cases, but throwing purchased berries to the Capuchin monkeys that are in a proper enclosure is

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pleasant for both children and adults a like.

There was definitely no interaction in the snake house other than letting the children touch the mythical door-person. The variety of pythons, serpents and snakes is wonderful but focused on the larger more well-know varieties. Some lesser known could be found but very few of them and some of the rarest ones only. Another sign of the protective nature of this safari park which also acts as an animal preserve. Other reptiles can be found in the park but only the slithering snakes (and cousins) stayed under Medusa’s watchful guardianship. We (my guide and myself) followed this with a short walk through another bird area before visiting the train ride tour. I will state that the predators in that open area are kept separate from their typical prey just to maintain the peace. Also, it is to avoid having a lion killing a gazelle in front of younger visitors. No need to expose young children to the harsh reality of the animal kingdom. This open area was also a better place to hold the grazing animals such as the antelopes, gazelles, and zebras. It was a better place to

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let some of the larger animals like the giraffes, elephants, and rhinoceros get out for exercise. Yes, the animals in this enclosure would be rotated with those inside the other section of the park every few days as part of the healthy animal ideals of the Chimelong Safari Park.

We cannot speak of Chimelong Safari without mentioning their pride which are the pandas that reside in a private section of the park. Between the open area and the “health facility”, they are one of the best protected animal in the park. This is not a surprise considering that the panda has become an international symbol for China and something all Chinese people show pride in. As I said earlier, some of the photos added to this entry were donated by my guide on this trip and can be found at the end of the photos listed with this entry. They are taken within the snake house and during the train ride mostly with a few random ones from the other areas prior to entering the snake house. I thank her kindly for this donation of these 27 photos to fill in any gap in animals

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I missed that day (listed as "Safari {extras)"). It would take me a day or so to recover from all the walking before I start my second day of visit to this area which is Chimelong Paradise.

Chimelong Paradise

As far as my history of visiting amusement parks or being on carnival rides goes, it is very limited to only a few parks and only some rides. I will admit that my guide (a different friend) did talk me into jumping on a few rides while we walked around this “Paradise” of amusement and entertainment. But what can truly be said about an amusement park without prattling on about all the rides. I leave it up to your imagination as you see the rides in the photo as to which ones I might or might not have tried. Other than the rides themselves, small area were set aside for magic and clown shows preparing you for the finale of the evening which was the Chimelong International Circus. I do warn you that, thanks to the fast motion of the performers and the low quality of my equipment, my photos are blurry at times during

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the shows. I will warn that because of the length of the clown show, most of the day was lost dragging me right into the big top for the circus to begin.

The Chimelong International Circus

The Chimelong International Circus was a truly packed house but the starting of the show came in the form of a Scottish Highlander playing bagpipes. This was just part of the introductions of performers upon the mega-screen and the “shake-your-phone” game made popular by a communication APP called “WeChat” (most useful one in all Asia to have). Again, thanks to the speed of the actions and my lower quality photography equipment, some of the photos are blurry. This does not accounts for some performers appearing as light ghosts to your eyes both in person and on film. I will also inform you that the action in this circus is not reserved to the center ring either as performer would appear within the audiences, along the walkways between the seats, and even dangling from the rafter above your head. This complete incorporation of the audience directly into the performance adds to the beauty and liveliness of the show.

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After close to an hour of “opening ceremonies” for the show, the lights dim and the acrobats high in the rafters drop wearing light suits to spin above the audience’s head in perfect precision. With them disappearing back into the “sky”, the performance starts upon the stage. A combination of acrobats, clowns, and animal performers follow each other flawlessly leading into the “cycle-ball”. The first 2 cyclists fly down the main walkways from the audience to drive into the metal mesh ball on the center stage. The begin slowly circling each other inside the sphere as more rider drive along the paths between the seated audience to join in the death defying trick on stage. This ends, after what feels like an hour, with each of the seven return to the stage to salute the crowd before the drive of into the audience. But this is not the pinnacle of the show, only the ending of the first act in their grand play.

Every separate group of performers continue without making you feel as if the show is ever going to end as they both compliment and raise the bar higher for the next set

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coming on stage. A good example of this would be the group on the “cloverleaf windmill”. I have seen this done before with minibikes but never on foot like this group was doing. Another show that felt like it was hours long as they flipped in and out of the four outer circle to jog around it while it spun freely around the central runner. A performance that was as complicated as any of the others performed while still making the crowd cheer for more. The performers raised to the challenge as a diving act with acrobatic flair followed. All the act leaded to the last show incorporating all the performers together for one short moment of play before the last bow to the audience who stood in a rousing round of applaud and screams of “hooray!”. Then as they left the stage, the light slowly brightened so the people could walk away. The entire performance that had felt like an entire night in length was only about 3 hours packed with everything to make time stop for those observing it. I returned to the hotel using the metro instead of a cab ride that night feeling both exhausted and