We had a wonderful time, although it was quite a bit further from New District than I had anticipated. It took approximately 45 minutes by car, but it was a holiday, so quite possibly traffic was heavier than usual that particular day.
Upon arrival, we purchased our tickets (100 rmb for each adult) and headed through the gates. This is where we learned there are two parts to the zoo. There's a theme park on the right, which looks like tons of fun for older kids, and the zoo is down the path to the left. We actually went in to the theme park first and realized that we had made a mistake. A little backtracking and we found our way to a map which got us steered in the right direction.
The zoo is quite hilly, so for those who tire easily or have one sort of health concern which makes walking difficult, the zoo rents out mobility scooters for a small fee. We saw many able bodied people riding them, which caught me off guard, but I guess they just didn't feel like walking. For parents taking young kids, take a stroller. They will get tired of walking the hills. An umbrella stroller worked fine for us.
We weren't quite sure what to expect from a Chinese zoo, considering the treatment of humans in some places here strike us as a bit inhumane, but it was not as bad as I had expected. The zoo has a wide array of animals. They've got elephants, camels, bears, giraffes, lions, tigers, panthers (gorgeous!), pandas, monkeys, tons of birds in the aviary, reptiles ( I admit, I skipped the reptiles, they creep me out), hippos and the list goes on.
My beef with the zoo was that the habitats needed some TLC. Many of the animals had areas in their habitats that were meant for a small pond to help keep cool, that were either half filled with water or completely dry. Not a zookeeper in sight. It seemed as though the upkeep of the habitats went ignored, while the park itself was kept quite clean.
One of our favorite parts (PETA would freak!) was a "live Beast show" which was held inside a tent, with music and announcements at a decibel level that was above and beyond anything we've encountered here so far. It was LOUD. We stood in a breezeway instead of sitting in the crowd so we could get some distance from the speakers, but the show itself was quite entertaining. We saw bears riding bikes, jump roping, dancing to "Gagnam Style" and doing flips between the still rings. Next came monkeys, doing many of the same tricks, and lastly, lions and tigers together. This brought back memories of the circus as a kid, although I don't think I had ever seen a bear on a bike until our zoo experience here.
There are booths full of Chinese food, and kiosks with drinks and ice cream cones. We did not eat at the zoo, so I can't comment on it, but it is available. I think if we go back, we will pack our lunches and take a blanket to sit and picnic halfway through our visit. The park, with its sprawling hills, has many grassy areas which would be perfect for a breather/snack/lunch.
We look forward to going back when cooler fall weather arrives. It's a wonderful day trip away from the hustle and bustle of town.
See you there,
Elle Lay
Here's the address:
Wuxi Zoo and Taihu fun park |
Binhu district, Wuxi 214063
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