HUMAN activities can be slowed down, like what Shenzhen went through a week before facing the COVID-19 flare-up, but you can’t slow the pace of spring. The soothing sunshine, fragrant air, returning birds chirping, lush greens and vibrantly blooming flowers are among the invitations from nature, luring people for a pleasant spring walk. Keep the following list handy that maps out some of the less crowded routes and destinations in Shenzhen, and make a plan for an outdoor weekend as the lockdown restrictions eased. Enshang Reservoir park Tucked half way up the southern slope of Wutong Mountain, the Enshang Reservoir park is no doubt an under-appreciated destination overlooked by most Wutong Mountain hikers. Frequent visitors are mostly residents from the neighborhood, who value the quiet park as their backyard retreat. The uphill hiking footpaths wind gently along Wutong Mountain. Main attractions in the park include a vast grassland with ancient trees standing on it, the Enshang Reservoir park with an open view, and an S-shaped road facing the sea, all perfect settings for Instagram-like photos. The park also offers choices of easy broad paths and moderate hill tracks. For hikers who opt for a calorie-burning experience, choose the footpaths that wind into the woods. They will lead you to the top of Wutong Mountain. Avid travel bloggers like to compare the park to Kenting National Park in Taiwan, dubbing it as “Little Kenting” for its commanding views along the route extending from the busy Yantian Port close by to the vast seas in the distance. The trip can be refreshing even in sunny spring days because the mild sea wind can easily cool one down. If you have time, stay until sunset and gasp at how the colors of nature change with the light from grayish blues to yellows, oranges and reds. OCT Wetland Park Located in the Shahe Subdistrict of Nanshan District, the OCT Wetland Park, an integral part of the Shenzhen Bay coastal wetland ecosystem, is the city’s first national-level wetland park. Covering a total area of 685,000 square meters, including about 500,000 square meters of water, the OCT Wetland Park has nearly 50,000 square meters of mangrove wetland. OCT Wetland Park offers excellent opportunities to see and listen to a variety of birds. It serves as an important stopover and habitat for migratory birds during the wintertime.The best season for bird-watching here is from October to April, when flocks of birds migrate from the north to inhabit the wetlands.Tens of thousands of migratory birds, including the endangered black-faced spoonbills, can be found in the park. There are a number of bird-watching platforms in the park, with Pianyingxuan being the most popular one. The wood cabin with windows facing three most-visited wetlands by birds offers shelter for birdwatchers in scorching summer days. The park is not only a haven for birds and birders, but also an open classroom of natural sciences for students. Different lectures and workshops are held from time to time by various schools and organizations. The park opens free to visitors upon reservation. Only 200 visitors are allowed each day. Bookings are available at www.shidi.octharbour.com, or through the WeChat account of the park: 華僑城濕地. Neilingding Futian Nature Reserve Neilingding Futian Nature Reserve might be the best kept secret garden in the city. Even some of the earliest city dwellers have no idea that there is a national-level nature reserve hidden in Futian District. The good news is that the Shenzhen Mangrove Birdwatching Corridor, located at the No. 1 and 2 fish pond areas of the reserve’s Futian mangrove forest section, was recently opened to the public. The nature reserve has a history of 33 years and is comprised of two parts, Neilingding Island and the Futian mangrove forest section. Covering 367 hectares, the reserve is the only and the smallest national nature reserve harbored in a city center in China. The reserve is also a habitat for migratory winter birds, attracting more than 100,000 birds each year. Visitors can make reservations through the WeChat miniprogram “內伶仃福田自然保護區” to get access to the corridor. But the real challenge lies in the part of making a booking for entrance. The reserve accepts only 40 bookings each day, and the waitlist is usually more than one-week long. The highlight of the reserve is a floating viewing deck sitting at the end of the reserve’s open area. The deck offers the best views for bird-watching and sightseeing, with views of Shenzhen Bay on the right and the coastlines of Hong Kong on the left. A wood walkway connects all the viewing decks in the reserve, with some stretching from the land into the sea. (Song Yingwen) | 