Autumn Excursion for Red Foliage in Shenzhen

The bloggers and photographers in Hong Kong have been raving about the red foliage that has lined up the public parks in Shenzhen. I jumped on the bandwagon and visited two parks. I first visited the Sihai Park in Shekou, then headed over to the Lianhuashan Park in Futian. Let me introduce readers to Lianhuashan Park first.

The date of visit was January 10, 2025.

The Lianhuashan Park in Shenzhen

Lianhuashan Park, meaning the “Lotus Mountain,” acquired its name due to its location. Nestled within the seven hugging mountains shaped like a blooming lotus, the park features an exceedingly large land area with the substance and form of a well-manicured natural environ. Because I had the prior experience at Sihai Park, which was really not too nice in my opinion, the Lianhuashan Park was excellent, both in its own right and also as it is compared to the Sihai Park.

I took the subway and arrived at the northwestern gate of Lianhuashan Park. As soon as I entered the park, I felt this sense of openness and wholesomeness right away. The park features well-maintained, broad and paved pathways, with many beautiful park installations.

The trees were tall and grand, and you could see right away that this environment was a result of careful urban ecological planning. Trees of one kind lined whole sections of the park. Then you would see other species in the next section.

The pathway to the lake area was slightly inclined but it was a comfortable and pleasant walk. My heart leapt at the sight of the first red foliage.

The park was an incredible venue of respite from the now-fully-urbanized Shenzhen cityscape. I was amazed at how this park was serene – there were surely many people there, but the atmosphere was calm. The activities in this area were mostly strolling and fishing. The sights of cranes gliding elegantly across the lake caught the wonders of many bystanders.

I soon came into the lake area and enjoyed the scene of red foliage. People were fishing, and children ran around freely. Some people sat down simply to enjoy the apricity of January.

There are a whole lot more bald cypress in the Lianhuashan Park than the Sihai Park. The foliage in Lianhuashan Park are fuller, its colors brighter, and all around much more beautiful.

There are other features in the park, including a statue of Deng Xiaoping, who was being memorialized in this park for his contribution to the economic development of Shenzhen, but I did not see it.

This was the first time that I visited a park in Shenzhen. I was roiling in resentment after visiting the Sihai Park, and the Lianhuashan Park certainly redeemed the reputation of Shenzhen parks for me.

I exited the park via the Shimin Zhongxin (Citizens’ Center) subway exit.

The Sihai Park

On this day, I visited the Sihai Park first. It is a community park located in the Shekou area, which is close to the southwestern end of Shenzhen.

As a community park, the Sihai Park certainly features the activities and characteristics that are more down to earth than the Lianhuashan Park. At first I enjoyed the sight of people dancing and doing their taichi in the morning hours. This is a familiar scene and certainly a show of the park’s significance for the locals.

However, as I searched for the waterfront areas, I started hearing loud karaoke singing all along the park. Also, the park is clearly surrounded by the urban landscape of Shenzhen, and there was not a sense that you could find any kind of full escape from the city life in this park.

As to the red foliage, there are about two small sections. The bridge is photogenic, but the foliage was not as full and as colorful as that of the Lianhuashan Park. As my first visit to a Shenzhen park, the Sihai Park was not pleasant. I left the park in disappointment.

I debated and debated whether to see the Lianhuashan Park, but decided to give it a go. That turned out to be a good decision.