Looking for some tranquility in hectic and crowded Shenzhen? with lovely botanical gardens and flowers from all over the world, the Shenzhen Garden Flower Expo Park from 2004 is a wonderful retreat from the hustle and bustle of the city (sometimes referred to as Yuan Bo Yuan or Shenzhen’s International Botanical Gardens).
Wikitravel introduces :
Shenzhen Garden and Flower Exposition Center (园博园), Zhuzilinxi, Futian District (at the intersection of Shennan Avenue and Qiaocheng East Road) (深圳市福田区竹子林西 (深南大道与侨城东路交汇处); Fútián Qū Zhúzilín Xī (Shēnnán Ddàdào Yú Qiáochéng Dōng Lù Jiāohuì Chù)) (Qiao Cheng Dong Metro Station, exit A). This park started life as the site of an international garden exhibition in 2004. It is an enormous garden with an area of 660,000 sq m. It ranges from gently undulating to quite steep and contains gardens in many different styles, not only Chinese but from all over the world. We love the Jiangnan style gardens built aroubd lakes in the north-east corner. Make sure you visit the hot houses and climb the hill past the waterfall to the pagoda on top of the hill. Views back to Hong Kong are spectacular on a clear day. A further 242 steps will take you to the top of the pagoda.
It is a huge park, and you can spend several hours wondering around and going up the hill to see the Pagoda at the top.
Let’s start the walk…
(photos taken with my smartphone, as my camera was stolen the day before that)
There are several small themed gardens and country related pavilions. Like this next one…
Up on the top, is a pagoda overlooking Shenzhen all the way down to Hong Kong. But I’m afraid it’s closed now.
which didn’t stop me from climbing all the way to the top regardless…
If you’d like a map of the area to see just how big it is…
Address is at West Zhuzilin in Futian District on the interchange between Shen Nan rd. and East Qiaocheng rd. open every day between 6:00-21:00.
Transportation:
- By bus (Bus stop: Garden Exposition Park Platform 1):319, 338, 350, and 367.
- By bus (Bus stop: Garden Exposition Park Platform 2): 109, 121, 123, 204, 209, 210, 21, 222, 223, 232, 49, 54, and 59.
- By bus (Bus stop: Garden Exposition Park Western Station): 323, 328, 390, 45, 46, 48, and 49.
- By bus (Bus stop: Bus Terminal): 303
- By bus (Bus stop: Garden Exposition Northern Station): 6, 25, 45, 46, 104, 107, 108, 325, and 235.
- By Subway: Line 1 to Qiaocheng Station A, C Exit,Shenzhen Metro
The official website for the park has been inactive for a while now, and there only very little that can be found on the park in English :
- Shenzhen International Garden and Flora Expo Park
- Shenzhen International Botanical Garden (Hebrew by an Israeli family living in China)
If you’re visiting Shenzhen and running out of things to do, this could be a good break just several stops off Overseas Chinese Town (west).
Great article Fili! Jamie