Walkways, distinctive rest stations, a parking lot, lighting, and recreational facilities are being installed at the new Sea & Sky (Haitian) Park in time for the May Day holiday.

The makeover involves 124,000 sq m (31 acres) between East Meihua Road and Central Lovers Avenue across from the 5th Affiliated Hospital of Sun-Yet Sen University and City Eastcoast residential area and north of the Zhuhai Museum & Urban Planning Exhibition Hall. Zhuhai Xiangzhou Zhengfang Property Management commenced work on March 15.

A vast stretch of lawn will be provided for leisure activities such as picnics, kite flying, and camping.  

Banyan trees aged more than 300 years are preserved

Several 300-year-old banyan trees will be protected, and the rest stations will harmonize with the surrounding environment. Trees that offer plenty of shade will be moved to line the roads, while overgrown trees will be taken to Zhuhai Xiangzhou Zhengfang Property Management nurseries before being returned to the park or relocated to the Zhuhai Sports Center.

The 6-m-wide (6.6-yd) walkway encircles the park, leading visitors among trees and year-round blossoms, including kapok (delonix regia) in spring and pink bauhinia in summer. Newly added lighting facilities allow night visits, and lamps in the shape of softly-lit birds' nests add a romantic atmosphere.

In addition to washrooms, sightseeing platform, and book bars, the park will have a 500-stall parking lot, children's recreational facilities, and fitness facilities suitable for middle-aged and elderly people.

Formerly a mud flat back in the 1990s, trees and shrubs were left damaged by typhoons. The parkland was seen as a potential safety hazard due to blocked pathways and lack of lighting, few support facilities, and little use of the lawns, according to Liang Chaowen, general manager of Zhuhai Xiangzhou Zhengfang Property Management.

Now, the urban park will better satisfies needs for leisure, fitness, entertainment, and sightseeing and complement the nearby Sea & Sky (Haitian) Rest Station at the southern end of Fenghuang (Phoenix) Bay Beach.

Rendering of Sea & Sky (Haitian) Park [Photos by Xu Baixi / WeChat account: zhtqb12345]