A Shenzhen Retrospective | Part I: Urban vs. Nature- or Win-Win Coexistence?

2026/10/19

This week I am currently taking part in a journalists' tour of one of China's most talked-about cities: Shenzhen Special Economic Zone, in south China's Guangdong Province. When you ask most people outside of China- if they've heard of Shenzhen in the first place- they speak of it like a sprawling tech hub, a metropolis made up of colossal skyscrapers as far as the eye can see. When looking videos of Shenzhen on social media, it seems like not a single piece of greenery is to be found, and the term "concrete jungle" immediately comes to mind.

But is that really true? I must admit, I had bought into the hype myself despite living in China for over half a decade: I always said to myself that "Shenzhen looks impressive sheerly in terms of economic development, but would I myself live there? As a Chinese history and culture enthusiast and nature guy, probably not!"

My first day here in Shenzhen, however, I found myself pleasantly surprised and my notions about Shenzhen's relationship to nature instantly dispelled.

After checking into our hotel, our team of international journalists was taken to Futian Mangrove National Nature Reserve. A 367-hectare mangrove wetland nestled right in the urban center of Shenzhen and just across Hong Kong's Mai Po Nature Reserve, Futian is China's smallest nature reserve, protecting 22 species of mangrove plants and over 100,000 migratory birds across 189 species of birds.

Futian Mangrove Nature Reserve with the skyline of Shenzhen in the background in Shenzhen city, south China's Guangdong Province. (People's Daily Online/Andrew Smith)

According to infographics placed around the park, the guiding principle of the park is "Modernization of Harmony Between Humanity and Nature," and I must say it certainly shows. Despite being surrounded by city of 18 million people, I was able to see firsthand a place with lush, green vegetation, vibrantly-colored flowers, dozens of different birds flying around the wetlands, and even got to watch countless crabs and mudskippers hop along in the mud.

When it came to the human element of "Harmony Between Humanity and Nature," that was quite apparent in our visit. The nature reserve also hosts a birdwatching pavilion, a special science popularization walkway with many infographic display cases and educational signs, telescopes for getting closer looks at wildlife while still giving them a safe distance, and multiple research facilities.

A foreign journalist tries out a telescope in order to view local wildlife in Futian Mangrove Nature Reserve in Shenzhen city, south China's Guangdong Province. (People's Daily Online/Andrew Smith)

However, Futian was not the only greenspace we were allowed to enjoy on our first day in Shenzhen. As late afternoon begin to settle in, we traveled to Lianhuashan Park, the premiere urban park in the city. Located at the northern end of the city center, this 181-hectare park is most famous for its six-meter statue of Deng Xiaoping standing at the very top of the Lianhua Hill, a monument to Deng's vision of transforming Shenzhen into the flagship Special Economic Zone of the Reform & Opening Up.

The urban skyline seen from Lianhuashan Park in Shenzhen city, south China's Guangdong Province. (People's Daily Online/Andrew Smith)

It's also well known for being the place where one can take in the most breathtaking view of the Shenzhen skyline- the cityscape of a metropolis that was once a simple fishing village- and truly marvel at the results of China's dream of high-quality development with one's own eyes. After marveling at the technical grandeur, you can spend the rest of the evening strolling through gardens, wooded trails, grassy fields where families play frisbee and badminton or enjoy picnics underneath a blue sky.

Is Shenzhen a modern technological marvel and breathtaking metropolis? Of course it is. But to say it's a "concrete jungle" with no fresh air or devoid of any natural touch is simply misinformed. My first day in Shenzhen pleasantly proved my preconceived notions completely wrong, and I hope that future visitors to the city can also find themselves happily surprised by the ability to enjoy the great outdoors inside this vast urban wonder.