HONG KONG WETLAND PARK

Description

Essentials about the Hong Kong Wetland Park in brief

The Hong Kong Wetland Park is a nature reserve in the northwest of Hong Kong. The wetland serves both tourist purposes and as an environmental education center. Thus, it aims to convey the ecological value of wetlands to the public and raise their awareness about the need to preserve such areas.

The history of the Hong Kong Wetland Park

The historical background of the Wetland Park is the construction of the gigantic neighboring housing estate Tin Shui Wai New Town, for which an area of around two square meters was operated from 1987 onwards, on which there had previously been a wetland. By 2006, the Hong Kong Wetland Park had been created to compensate for the previously drained wetlands. In addition to its function as a tourist attraction and environmental center, the Wetland Park also serves as a recreational area for the residents of Tin Shui Wai New Town.

The subdivision of the Hong Kong Wetland Park

The Hong Kong Wetland Park consists of a 10,000-square-meter visitor center, Wetland Interactive World, and the approximately 60-hectare Wetland Reserve conservation area.

Wetland Interactive World

The grass-covered Wetland Interactive World presents the importance of wetlands for biodiversity, culture and conservation in five exhibition rooms. In the first room, visitors are given an overview of what constitutes wetlands, what functions they perform, and why they are so important. In the following gallery, the visitor center presents the diversity of wetlands worldwide. Examples include those of the northern tundra, the tropics, and the Hong Kong Wetlands. The viewing gallery then gives visitors a first overview of the outdoor area. The next room is dedicated to the cultural significance of wetlands in terms of religion, mythology, art, customs, leisure. Finally, visitors walk along a river in the last gallery. There they are presented with the threat to wetlands from human intervention, but also shown how they can be protected through a change in lifestyle. In addition to the exhibition spaces, the visitor center also houses a cinema, a café, a gift store, a viewing gallery and an indoor playground.

Wetland Reserve

The outdoor area of about 60 hectares is divided into various artificial wetlands, which are tailored to the specific needs of plants, waterfowl, fish and other typical inhabitants of different wetlands. Thus, there are a large freshwater mudflat, several ponds, reed beds, the mudflat, mangroves, grassland and forest. The area is crossed by six hiking routes with different thematic focuses. Following narrow paths, they lead visitors to small huts that serve as hidden vantage points for the different habitats.

In the middle of the park lies the Butterfly Garden, which covers about 2,000 square meters and has been planted with special plants, making it home to more than 60 species of butterflies. Not far away is the Wetland Discovery Centre. There, there is an interactive exhibit that focuses on the habitats of the local wetlands. Park staff present the flora and fauna of the Wetland Park in several workshops each day.

A special attraction of the Wetland Reserve is the saltwater crocodile Pui Pui, which is housed in an outdoor enclosure. The animal, whose origin is unknown, was discovered on the Shan Pui River in 2003 and has lived in the Wetland Reserve since 2006.