CHILDREN love water parks. And let’s face it, so do many adults. The water parks in Shanghai and neighboring cities like Hangzhou and Suzhou offer more than just a chance to splash around for the day. Take a look at the various options.

Dino Beach

The water park features a wave pool known as Storm Beach and Blue Sea, where visitors can take a turn at water skiing, jet skiing and banana boating. It is often very crowded on weekends.

Opening hours: Through September 2, 10am-midnight; 2-11pm on Mondays

Address: 78 Xinzhen Rd, Shanghai

Price: 150 yuan

Tel: (021) 6478-3333

Website: www.64783333.com

Playa Maya Water Park

It is the largest water park in East China with nearly 40 aquatic facilities. Playa Maya is in the southwest part of Shanghai Happy Valley Theme Park.

Many of the water facilities have been awarded Best Water Recreation Facility by the International Travel Association. Big Hornet is a double-track water roller coaster. Caribbean Beach is a massive wave pool with waves as high as 3.5 meters. There’s also Giant Beast Bowl, a water slide with a total vertical drop of 123 meters.

Opening: Through July 4, 10:30am-7:30pm; July 5-August 31, 10am-9:30pm

Address: 888 Linhu Rd, Sheshan Town, Shanghai

Price: 150 yuan on weekdays; 180 yuan on weekends

Tel: (021) 5427-0118

Website: sh.playamaya.cn/

Dakang Indoor Water Park

This is Shanghai’s only large-scale indoor water park, perfect for those who fear being in the sun too long or on a stormy day. Dakang Water Park is 5,000 square meters with a deep-end of 4 meters and a shallow area of 1.2 meters. Facilities include a wave pool, water slides, family slides, a pool for children and waterfalls.

Opening: June 26-June 30, 12pm-5pm; July 1-August 31, 10am-9pm

Address: 555 Gongkang Rd, Shanghai

Price: 70 yuan for two and a half hours on weekdays; 88 yuan on weekends

Tel: (021) 5640-6962, 5640-8555

Hangzhou Paradise Park

Encompassing an area of 4,000 square meters, this water park inside Hangzhou Paradise Park offers a kaleidoscope of recreational activities. They include a performance stage, wave pool, sandy beach and funny pool. The park boasts an advanced pneumatic wave maker to create waves up to 1 meter.

Opening hours: 10am-5pm on weekdays; 9:30am-5pm at weekends

Address: 92 Xianghu Rd, Xiaoshan District, Hangzhou

Price: 80-160 yuan

Tel: (0571) 8288-0333

Website: www.songcn.com/hzly/

Water Park in Suzhou Amusement Land

It is a popular attraction covering an area of about 80,000 square meters, featuring elevated slides, wave pools, and paddling pools. It also prides itself in its “Hawaii waves,” which guests can river raft on. The park also boasts a beautiful Balinese garden for those looking for some quiet time away from the water.

Opening hours: July 1-August 31, 9am-9pm on weekdays; 9am-10pm on weekends

Address: 397 Changjiang Rd, Suzhou

Price: 125 yuan for adults, 100 yuan for children (1.2m-1.5m)

Tel: (0512) 6871-7107

Website: www.szal.cn/waterPark/intro.shtml