Covering 66 hectares in the northwest section of Hengqin, Hengqin Mangzhou Wetland Park offers a fine showing of wetland ecology, wetland leisure experience, seawall ecological plant viewing, and management service zones.

The park also has the first marine ecosystem restoration exhibition hall in Guangdong Province. The 2,000-sq-m education base with ocean, wetlands, and bird species showcases Hengqin's achievements in restoring marine ecology.

Picturesque scenery

The wetland is replete with natural mangroves, reeds, and other resources. Mangrove plants come in six families, eight genera, and eight species with Haimang, Kandelia, Haisang, and Mouse being the most prolific. The environment is an ideal habitat for 62 species of birds, five of which are under national protection. In fact, Hengqin is situated on the route of migratory birds in East Asia and Australia.

The park is also home to a rare species of sea otter.

Wetland at sunset [Photos courtesy china.org.cn]

Costing about 150 million yuan ($22 million) over two phases, the park encompasses a 2,000-sq-m exhibition hall, 2.94 km of ecological seawall, and about 60 hectares of landscaping, mangrove forest planting, and wetland dredging.

Meanwhile, the third phase is progressing at a cost of 500 million yuan ($73 million). It will promote Hengqin New Area as a first-batch national marine ecological civilization demonstration site and ecological protection and construction demonstration area.

Hengqin Mangzhou Wetland is open to the public free of charge. Visitors arrive by car, taxi or bicycle, there being no bus service at this time.