Shenzhen Shorts – The Xianhu Botanical Park
Along the theme of autumn foliage, I visited the Xianhu Botanical Park in Shenzhen a couple days ago. The day of visit is January 16, 2025. There is an admission fee of RMB 15 yuan for entrance between 8:00am and 6:00pm. The park is open from 6am to 9:30pm.
About the Xianhu Botanical Park
Photo: At the entrance, namely “the most beautiful carpark in China”
Meaning “The Fairy Lake” in Chinese, the Xianhu Botanical Park spans an enormous area of 546 acres. On the east of the park stands Shenzhen’s tallest Wutong Mountain. On its west lies the Shenzhen Reservoir. This fact alone shows the park’s significance as a site of both natural conservation and research.
It takes time to see the most significant features in the park (perhaps a whole day). Those who visit the park for religious purposes would certainly head to the Hongfa Temple, which is a large temple complex.
The other prominent features of the Xianhu Botanical Park are the three bodies of water, namely the Shaluo Pond (see below), the Fairy Lake (Xianhu) and the Mirror Lake (Jinghu). For photography, likely the Fairy Lake, which is the largest, will feature the most beautiful colors.
Besides the lakes, there are some themed sections of the park that are interesting. For example, there is a cacti and succulent plant section, a rare tree arboretum, a fern corner, herbal garden, and bonsai garden and rhododendron section etc. The park focuses its efforts to the research and protection of tropical and subtropical species.
You can certainly see how much this park offers in terms of attractions. Therefore do wear very comfortable shoes and prepare for quite a bit of walk there. There are leisure facilities in the park as well, such as a coffee shop close by the Fairy Lake that offers light refreshments.
Views at the Xianhu Botanical Park
We had very limited time, so we only opted for the small and closer pond to visit. At the Shaluo Pond, there is a loop to go around the waters to see the different views. The walk is quick, for only about a half hour.
At this time of the year, the Bald Cypress at the pond seems to have waned in its colors. We enjoyed the views anyway, and this park is so significant that I would consider coming back to see its other features.
As opposed to the Lianhuashan Park in Futian, the Xianhu Botanical Park is at an even larger scale. In Lianhuashan Park, you are within a beautiful nature carved out from an otherwise urban landscape. The Xianhu Botanical Park, on the other hand, is more like an ecosystem on its own. It is comparable to a national park.
From the entrance, the walk to the Shaluo Pond takes about 20 minutes. It is a much smaller area than the Fairy Lake (Xianhu), but the ambience is beautiful. We saw quite a bit of wildlife there, including fish and birds.
Getting Around in Xianhu Botanical Park
The park is so big that there are buses running on site to take visitors around. The buses cost RMB 3 yuan per trip. While these buses run through some of the key sites in the park, a whole lot of the park area is not covered by the bus route. We walked to Shaluo Pond, but took the bus back to the entrance point.
In comparison, the Lianhuashan Park in Futian would take about a half a day to see most of the features. The Xianhu Botanical Garden would take a whole day. It really is that much bigger. There was also almost no community life in the Xianhu Botanical Garden. Properly considered, the Xianhu Botanical Garden is a site for local tourism.
How to Get There
The Xianhu Botanical Park is located in Liantang, Shenzhen, in a very convenient location. For Hong Kong visitors, the way to go is to take Green Top Minibus Route 59S and get off at the Heung Yuen Wai Boundary Crossing. This minibus picks up passengers at the main minibus terminal just outside of the Sheung Shui MTR Station. Do note that even on weekdays there are always long lines for this minibus. The minibuses do come in a continuous stream, so be prepared to wait for just 15-20 minutes to get on one.
Once you cross the boundary, follow instructions to take the subway at the Liantang Checkpoint Station. Then get off at the next stop at Xianhu Lu Station (Xianhu Road), and walk about 10 minutes to the entrance of the park.