Part of a pedestrian bridge connecting the Lianhua Hill Park and UpperHills shopping mall in Futian CBD. Wen Can
A newly opened sports ground in Bijia Hill Park.
The Kunpeng Trail No. 1 Bridge connecting Yinhu and Meilin mountains. Ming De
The phrase "city walk" was all over social media platforms in 2023. Young people have developed a penchant for park walks as they start embracing nature to seek a healthier lifestyle.
A recently completed project linking five urban parks in the city center — Lianhua Hill, Bijia Hill, Central, Meilin Mountain, and Yinhu Mountain parks — provides citizens new walking routes.
Continuous trekking routes
The project is the first step of the city's "Shanhailiancheng" initiative, or literally "mountains and seas connecting the city" initiative, which aimed at creating an eco-spatial structure featuring a ridge, a coastal belt, and 20 ecological corridors across the city.
Through the project, the five parks were linked together by connecting ecological breakpoints, improving the connections' existing condition, and building slow traffic systems.
Zhang Qian, an official with Futian District's urban management authority, said that they hoped to connect business circles and residential communities through nature.
The project offers continuous trekking experiences so that individuals don't have to walk on urban road sections to enter mountain areas, according to Zhang, who mentioned Hong Kong's MacLehose Trail as an example.
On Jan. 6, around 500 trekking enthusiasts departed from Meilin Culture and Sports Center in Futian District, walked through the five parks, and finally arrived at Kite Square in Lianhua Hill Park.
The whole journey extends 17 kilometers. The activity, named "Hi, Five Parks Walk," also marked the official opening of the project.
One participant, Chen Yiwei, said that this was a novel experience.
"In the past, it was about climbing a single mountain, so the experience was a bit dull," Chen said. "The link for the five parks integrates different types of sceneries. There are wild trails, as well as urban sightseeing."
Bridge for people, animals
When it comes to specific engineering of the project, one should not miss the Kunpeng Trail No. 1 Bridge which connects Yinhu and Meilin mountains.
The two mountains used to be connected but were split because of the construction of Meiguan Road.
The most special thing about Kunpeng Trail No. 1 Bridge is that it is also a pathway for wildlife migration between the two mountains.
It is worth mentioning that the bridge's pedestrian walkway occupies only one-10th of the bridge deck. The rest of the area is instead reserved for animals and built with plants to create a forest-like environment.
Additionally, there are artificial nests for birds to rest in and signs to remind people to avoid stepping on the pathway made for animals.
A man surnamed Zhang, who is an outdoor sports lover, praised the practice of making more room for animals to pass over the bridge.
Smart facilities
Interested citizens can still partake in the "Hi, Five Parks Walk" activity.
A total of six points include smart machines to allow citizens to mark their trekking journey in the five parks.
These points are set up at the entrance of Meilin Mountain Reservoir, the west of Meilin Mountain Ecological Corridor, the east of Yinhu Mountain Ecological Corridor, the south gate of Yinhu Mountain Country Park, the north gate of the Central Park's Area E, and Lianhua Hill Park.
Citizens can get a certificate of completion, with their exercise results and rankings in the system marked, as long as they check in at two or more points listed above.