Chimelong Spaceship is the current holder of the Guinness World Record for the largest aquarium on Earth. Opened to the public in September 2023 on Hengqin Island in Zhuhai, China, the spaceship-shaped megastructure holds a certified 75,350,969 litres of water — nearly twice the volume of any aquarium built before it — and it also contains the largest single aquarium tank ever constructed.
The scale is hard to overstate. When Chimelong Spaceship was certified on September 15, 2023, it instantly pushed every famous name — Georgia Aquarium, Singapore’s oceanarium, even its own sister park next door — down a rung on the list of the largest aquariums in the world. It is also billed as the world’s largest indoor theme park, wrapping rides, shows, and science exhibits around its record-setting tanks.
Key Stats
| Total water volume | 75,350,969 L (about 19.9 million US gal) — Guinness World Record |
| Opened | September 2023 |
| Location | Hengqin Island, Zhuhai, Guangdong, China |
| Exhibits | 38 aquarium tanks with nearly 300 kinds of fish, coral, and aquatic plants |
| Signature tank | 56,450,136 L — the world’s largest aquarium tank (125.4 m long, 11 m deep) |
A Spaceship Lands on Hengqin
Chimelong Spaceship is the second theme park at the Chimelong International Ocean Tourist Resort, the sprawling coastal complex that already included Chimelong Ocean Kingdom — itself a former world-record aquarium. Construction on the ocean-themed park, masterplanned by Legacy Entertainment, began on November 30, 2015, and took nearly eight years before the doors opened in 2023.
The building itself is the attraction’s calling card: a colossal streamlined structure designed to look like a spacecraft that has touched down on the shoreline facing Macau. Inside, the sci-fi framing continues — the park blends marine-life exhibits with more than 30 amusement facilities, including around 17 major rides and simulator attractions, all under one roof.
The Record-Breaking Tanks
Guinness World Records certified two titles at once in September 2023: largest aquarium, for the facility’s combined 75.35 million litres, and largest aquarium tank, for its main exhibit holding 56,450,136 litres. That single tank — 125.4 metres long and 11 metres deep — contains more water than every aquarium on Earth except a handful of complete facilities.
The records tell a story of one company chasing its own tail. Chimelong Ocean Kingdom, next door, claimed the largest-aquarium record when it opened in 2014 with 48.75 million litres. Nine years later, Chimelong built its successor a short walk away. The record lineage now reads: Georgia Aquarium (2005) → S.E.A. Aquarium Singapore (2012) → Chimelong Ocean Kingdom (2014) → Chimelong Spaceship (2023).
Visiting Chimelong Spaceship
Because the park is fully indoors, it operates rain or shine — a real advantage in Zhuhai’s subtropical climate. The resort is a major destination in the Greater Bay Area, reachable from Macau in minutes and served by its own railway station, Zhuhai Changlong, on the Zhuhai–Airport intercity line. Most visitors pair a day at the Spaceship with a day at Ocean Kingdom, since the two parks sit side by side within the same resort along with themed hotels and a circus theatre.
FAQ
Is Chimelong Spaceship the largest aquarium in the world?
Yes. Guinness World Records certified Chimelong Spaceship as the world’s largest aquarium on September 15, 2023, with 75,350,969 litres of water. See how it compares on our ranking of the largest aquariums in the world.
When did Chimelong Spaceship open?
The park opened to the public in September 2023 at the Chimelong International Ocean Tourist Resort in Zhuhai, China.
How big is Chimelong Spaceship’s main tank?
The main tank holds 56,450,136 litres and measures 125.4 metres long and 11 metres deep — a Guinness World Record for the largest single aquarium tank.
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Photo: Charlie fong / CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.