Mangrove Park

This article was originally published on June 17, 2011, in the Shenzhen Daily.
The information was accurate at that time, and may be outdated now. Use with caution.

The walkway along the bay in Mangrove Park

As you speed along Binhai Boulevard, you may notice a peculiar sort of glass wall between the highway and some trees, and carloads of people preparing to have a good time. This is meant to protect an egret hatchery in the Mangrove Park.

A watchtower along the bayside

The red mangrove is called in Chinese hong shu (红树, "red tree"), which has caused it to be confused with the majestic redwood. It is not.

It is no less interesting, however. It grows with its feet in salty or brackish water, and it drops its "seeds" (actually, propagules, small living trees) into the water, where they can float for a year or more before taking root in another place.

Futian beyond the mangroves (egrets nest on the far side of this cove)

China used to have about a hundred times as much mangrove swamp as it has today, which makes our nine-kilometer patch quite precious.

This habit of growing in seawater makes mangrove swamps throughout the tropics habitats for aquatic birds, fish, and even, in some places, crocodiles!

Nanshan seen from the park

Our park is, then, an excellent place for bird watching. It also offers the only place in town where you can take a stroll along Shenzhen Bay, and it affords spectacular views of Hong Kong, Nanshan (both the district and the mountain), and back towards Futian and Luohu. (There are also dense plantings of other trees in the park, including coconut palms).

Shelters make for pleasant relaxing in the park

So do yourself a favor: take a walk by the bay, especially at sunrise or sunset, and enjoy Nature's beauty. Many buses, including J1 and 382, stop at Hongshu Lin (红树林).

The park also has a beautiful website (alas, in Chinese only, but click the pictures at the bottom of the page).

GPS Info:

• 22.5261, 114.0027

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