Water parks are a big draw wherever you go, during the summer of 2022 in particular. But this year in China is seeing the industry rocked by a series of scandals associated with parks’ water quality. It’s got many saying, “I dare not go again”.
Online stories describing the environment in some water parks in China have in recent days attracted in excess of a staggering 420 million reads. The reason? Rubbish floating on the surface of pools in water parks, algae within and even frogs.
Described as a “must-visit attraction during summer”, Water Dream Park in Kunshan City of our very own Jiangsu Province is quickly becoming more of a “must avoid”.
As one of the places involved in the scandal, visitors to Water Dream Park upon arrival have found the scene to be very different from the associated propaganda. Many have complained of old equipment, muddy water and unknown floating objects.
The online outcry has spurred people to share photos showing objects flowing in water parks’ pools, such as fallen leaves, moss and toy snakes. Then there are the real animals; spiders and frogs to name but two.
Kunshan is not the only city involved in the scandal that appears to be near-rampant nationwide, as we seek respite from cooking ourselves in 40-plus degrees.
At Hangzhou Wave Water Park in the capital of Zhejiang Province, visitors have reported feeling unwell afterward and that their skin had become inflamed. Some even spent several days in hospital and spent more than ¥1,000 in healthcare.
Up north in Haerbin, capital of Heilongjiang Province, people flocking to cool off in Poseidon Beach Water World have also spoken out about skin-related problems after their visit. Doctors diagnosed dermatitis as the result of infected water. Prescribed medicines for the condition cost north of ¥600.
The World Journal has reported a former water-park employee as revealing large-scale parks will generally only fully change their water once a month or every 2 weeks. Each time, the process to fully disinfect and change the water can cost hundreds of thousands of renminbi.
The whistle blower believes that water quality is in direct proportion to ticket prices. His suggestion is for visitors to choose a park with expensive tickets should they be in pursuit of cleanliness.
