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The Soil and Water Conservation Park

This article was originally published on December 10, 2010, in the Shenzhen Daily.
The information was accurate at that time, and may be outdated now. Use with caution.

Front gate of the Soil and Water Conservation Park
The wonders of Xili Lake's east side are well known, including the Zoo, or "Safari Park," and the venerable Xili Lake Resort. But there's a new kid on the west side of the lake, along Shahe Xi Lu. The Shenzhen Soil and Water Conservation Park is so new that on a recent weekday afternoon, my wife and I were two of only four visitors.

A tranquil walkway leads up the hill
It's a good place to stroll, climb a hill, and enjoy vistas of the lake and of the surrounding suburbs and mountains.

You can take a bus or taxi to the park gate (just north of the turn-off to the Safari Park). Inside, we turned left and walked gradually up the hill, passing signboards depicting land-use issues (alas, all in Chinese) and a turn-off to the lake (near a gorgeous log building).

At the end of the paved pathway, wooden stairs and a boardwalk lead to a summit with spectacular views in nearly all directions.

Relief of a Daoist immortal near the peak
At a Thai-style wooden pavilion, we turned left to the entrance of the Linxian Overlook, which, unfortunately, was closed. We could see, though, that it affords a view to the south, and that there is a traditional building amongst the giant boulders. We could also see the bas relief of a xian (Daoist immortal) on the north side of the rock.

View of the lake, suburbs, and mountains beyond
Returning to the pavilion and veering left, we climbed again, to the Yingfeng Overlook, the highest point but one whose views are obscured by trees. From there, a series of steep stairs leads down to a beautiful water garden area with a kiddie's play area and a man-made cave-like building. This is all right next to the front gate and our way home.

A carved cliff over the water garden, not far from the gate
Man-made caves on the other side of the pond, also near the gate
GPS Info:
  • 22.5923, 113.9487



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