Consider Shenzhen Central Park as the city’s green lung. This park offers respite from the urban sprawl. It stretches about 2.5 kilometers from north to south. Its widest point spans roughly 800 meters east to west.
Shenzhen Central Park’s story began as an 800-meter wide green isolation belt. This was back in 1997. The city transformed it into a space for leisure and fitness. By National Day eve in 1999, the revamped area opened to the public. It was then known as the Futian District 800-meter Green Isolation Belt.
Zhou Xiongde witnessed this transformation firsthand. He arrived in Shenzhen in 1983. He lived near the park as a construction engineer. Later, he joined the Shenzhen Municipal Greening Management Office. He watched the park evolve. Zhou recalls that the area had bamboo groves, wasteland, and fishponds. The Futian River was a clear stream teeming with fish.
In the late 1980s, the park became a nursery for the Shenzhen Municipal Greening Management Office. During the early 1990s, they planted lychee, mango, and longan trees. It became a fruit orchard.
To give back to the people, Shenzhen decided to convert the 800-meter green belt. This transformation aimed to provide citizens with a place for recreation.
Many people wanted to develop the land commercially as the city grew. Citizens worried that the green belt would disappear. In 1999, the Shenzhen Municipal Committee designated the project. The project was to improve the green belt.
Construction began in March of that year. Workers leveled the ground. They built paths, transplanted trees, and restored lawns. Shenzhen decided to upgrade the green belt. It became a natural botanical garden.
In 1999, Shenzhen sought a new name for the park. They collected over 3,300 suggestions from across the country. On August 6, 1999, the Shenzhen Municipal Civilization Committee approved the name Shenzhen Central Park. The park opened its gates. Shenzhen preserved this green space.
In 2011, Shenzhen Central Park underwent renovations. They added 12.7 kilometers of park paths. Six new restrooms were built. Sports facilities were expanded by 14,320 square meters. They also added 9.7 kilometers of greenways.
Huang Zhifeng explained the renovations. The park created a unified system. Pedestrian bridges connected everything. Traffic flowed separately. The park merged with the city.
The Futian River flows through the park. It enhances the park’s ecology. The river creates a beautiful landscape. Shenzhen Central Park became one of the first wetland parks in the city.
Shenzhen Central Park connects to the Bijia Mountain. It forms an urban ecological corridor. This corridor enriches the city’s biodiversity.
The park displays various sculptures. One is a sculpture called “Deep Blue.” It was a gift from Houston. Another is “Pursuit” from the French province of Vienna. “Power” is a gift from Nuremberg. A white sculpture commemorates medical workers.
Shenzhen Central Park features a special garden. This is a memory garden. It preserves memories of Futian. Sculptures depict old shops, carts, and rural scenes.
Shenzhen has included the park in its central park vitality circle. It aims to transform it into a new urban engine. Shenzhen plans to create a green leisure belt. This will run from Shenzhen Bay to the park.
The city will upgrade the park. It will become a platform for international events. It will become a public space of international quality.