The Dasha River runs through the Nanshan district of Shenzhen, a city in southern mainland China adjoining Hong Kong SAR. The river extends for 18.8 kilometers from Yangtai mountain in Shenzhen’s northern hills to the sea in Shenzhen Bay and is an important green axis for the area. The river has recently undergone a major rejuvenation program to create a new 13.7 kilometer urban park to:
- Restore the river basin’s original ecological function by linking pre-existing patches of natural green space to form an unbroken linear park from the sea upstream
- Boost the mental wellbeing of local residents and reconnect the community to its roots
- Generate significant tax revenues for the district government by raising local land values and bringing an influx of new businesses to adjoining neighborhoods.
The rejuvenation of the river has also played an important societal role, creating a natural oasis in the city center visited by some 40,000 people per day. This major new public amenity includes new walking and cycling paths, pedestrian bridges to facilitate movement from one bank to the other, tree houses, book bars, tearooms and playgrounds. A visitors center, toilet and shower blocks and a nature classroom have also been created for the community to enjoy.
The Dasha River rejuvenation project forms part of the Shenzhen government’s plan to complete some 600 kilometers of ecological pathways traversing the estuaries of local rivers in and around the city by the end of 2022. Beyond that, the river’s pedestrian walkways will also connect to the Guangdong Provincial Greenway System via links that are currently being built from the Changlinpi and Xili Reservoirs and the Yangtai Mountain Forest Park further improving the area for generations to come.
Client
Nanshan government
Services
- Design planning
- Engineering
- Water ecology advisory
- Landscaping
