1 Project Background
With the deepening of urbanization and the improvement of living standards, public attention has increasingly focused on physical health and mental well-being. This shift has catalyzed the rise of eco-conscious lifestyles as a prevailing social trend. In parallel, outdoor recreational activities such as hiking and mountaineering have surged in popularity, offering the public opportunities to reconnect with nature and relieve stress, thereby becoming a popular leisure choice among contemporary urban residents.
Mountain trails are vital ecological spaces for nature immersion, serving as essential infrastructure to meet the public demand for outdoor recreation. However, the prevailing reliance on overly artificial and hardened construction approaches in conventional trail design has led to multiple critical issues, including biodiversity degradation, compromised landscape coherence, and weakened human–nature interaction. In the context of advancing ecological civilization in the new era, there is an urgent need to establish innovative design frameworks that reconcile human needs with ecological principles, thereby ensuring the sustainability of ecological landscapes.
Shenzhen, as a pilot demonstration city of ecological civilization, pursues high-quality sustainable development through the "Mountain–Sea Vistas." This initiative constructs a "Three Trails & Three Loops" long-distance hiking system, integrating the city's representative bays, mountains, rivers, and regional green spaces into a cohesive ecological network. Leveraging its abundant mountain and water resources as well as its proximity to Hong Kong, China, Luohu District has emerged as a frontier in advancing regional ecological integration. Against the backdrop of deepening Shenzhen–Hong Kong exchanges, it has lead the exploration of innovative design and construction paradigms for cross-boundary ecological synergy.
2 Design and Construction Process
2.1 Seamless Transition From Urban to Wilderness
In the route planning, the Hiking and Nature Education Trails in Donghu Park (Liantang Port Line) follow the principle of universal accessibility. Strategically connecting urban communities with long-distance hiking corridors, it provides an accessible pathway for citizens to experience mountain forest ecosystems. This approximately 2-kilometer trail represents one of the most convenient trails between Shenzhen and Hong Kong. Its southern entrance lies just 150 m from Liantang Port Metro Station, enabling a seamless transition from metropolitan bustle to tranquil wilderness. At its northern terminus, Mingcui Pavilion on the Wutong Greenway connects with Section 10 of the Kunpeng Trail—recognized by the China Mountaineering Association as one of China's "Top Ten National Mountaineering & Outdoor Destinations of 2024"—offering direct access to advanced wilderness exploration.
2.2 Returning to the Aesthetics of Nature
The design celebrates the original landscape features of the trail, delving into its unique ecological character to preserve traces of natural succession and cultivate site-specific aesthetic experiences. Native stones uncovered along the mountain path were retained in their undisturbed positions, forming intrinsic scenic elements that embody the wilderness authenticity. Fallen trees—iconic symbols of regional identity—were either adaptively repurposed or preserved in situ, enriching spatial narratives and enhancing sensory engagement with nature. Naturally formed tree arches were transformed into "challenge modules, " inviting physical interactions to foster deeper human–nature emotional bonds.
2.3 Low-Impact Construction Under "Triple-Zero Principles"
The mountain trail construction adopted a low-impact strategy by systematically integrating existing natural paths to minimize disturbance to vegetation and topsoil, while also reducing construction costs. Following the "Triple-Zero Principles"—zero expansion of cement paving, zero loss of ecological resources, and zero impact on natural environments—the project excluded the use of cement and other hardening materials. Instead of heavy machinery, manual trail-building techniques relying on hand tools were employed, significantly reducing ecological disturbance.
2.4 Eco-Engineering Techniques Integrated With Nature
The project combined natural materials (timber, stones, etc.) and simple yet robust eco-engineering techniques to seamlessly blend the trail into its environment. Trail-edge logs define pathway boundaries while merging with exposed tree roots to create cohesive natural structures. Water-diversion logs can effectively direct runoff, preventing puddling and maintaining the healthy rhythm of natural water flow. Fallen branches and decaying wood were arranged into energy-dissipating barriers along slopes, simultaneously providing microhabitats for diverse organisms.
2.5 A Trail for Tailor-Made Nature Education
The mountain trail also serves as a living classroom for wildlife observation, where the development of specialized interpretive systems helps realize their full ecological education potential. By integrating distinctive flora and fauna resources and culturally significant stories into visually engaging interpretive panels, the project transforms the ecological history of the site into compelling narratives. This approach allows visitors to acquire environmental knowledge and biodiversity insights while hiking, thereby stimulating ecological curiosity and fostering emotional connection with nature.
2.6 Co-Creation and Collective Stewardship for Public Awareness
Through diversified volunteer programs, the project promotes broad public participation in trail construction and maintenance, fostering awareness of human impacts on nature and cultivating a mindset aligned with ecological civilization. During the construction phase, more than 60 volunteer groups contributed to building earthen steps and installing trail-edge logs. After completion, ongoing clean-up initiatives were organized to reinforce the environmental stewardship consciousness among the public.
3 Project Review
Since their opening, the Hiking and Nature Education Trails in Donghu Park (Liantang Port Line) have rapidly become a premier outdoor recreational destination for Shenzhen and Hong Kong, infusing green vitality into urban development and establishing a new paradigm for cross-border leisure within the Guangdong–Hong Kong–Macao Greater Bay Area. By amplifying the trail's natural attributes anchored in ecology and enriched by culture, it integrates urban landscapes and cultural resources into the regional ecological network, showcasing a model of sustainable symbiosis between urban and wilderness spaces.
Project Name:Hiking and Nature Education Trails in Donghu Park (Liantang Port Line)
Location:Luohu District, Shenzhen City, China
Size (area):2 km (length)
Client:Urban Management and Comprehensive Law Enforcement Bureau of Luohu District, Shenzhen City
Landscape Architecture:Shenzhen Weiming Design Consulting Co., Ltd. (WMLA)
Project Team:Di Che, Qing Xiao, Yuan Lin, Yanyu Long, Yuan Xie, Zuoshi Qin, Huai Huang, Fan Yang, Lei Yu, Xuan Peng, Ziying Kuang, Rongyi Xie, Lixia Yao, Weisong Wang
Collaborators:Shuang Hao, Xue Yang, Xiang Li, Jiahao Chen, Yuchu Huang, Ni Yang, Ruichun He, Minmin He, and Xinyi Shi from Original World (nature education interpretation/event planning and execution)
Supporting Institution:Peking University Shenzhen Institute
Design Time:September ~ November 2024
Completion Time:December 2024
4 FEATURES
Mountain Trail; Outdoor Hiking; Handmade Trail; Nature Education; Low Disturbance; Low Cost
5 PRACTICE REFLECTIONS
· The project employs nature-inspired design, low-impact construction, and the "Triple-Zero Principles" to balance trail functionality with the natural environment
· The initiative prioritizes the authentic aesthetic value of natural elements, seeking to reawaken public appreciation of nature's inherent beauty
· The integration of landscape design, nature education, and volunteer participation establishes an innovative paradigm for showcasing site-specific ecological characters
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