The Xianhu Botanical Garden is bustling with visitors during the Qingming Festival

Located in Luohu District of Shenzhen, the Xianhu Botanical Garden is nestled against Wutong Mountain, the city's highest peak to the east, and Shenzhen Reservoir to the west. Covering an area of 546 hectares, it was established in 1983 and officially opened to the public in 1988. It is a botanical garden that integrates species conservation, scientific research, education, and tourism. The Xianhu Botanical Garden preserves over 8,000 plant species and has established various specialized gardens such as the Cycad Conservation Center, Magnolia Garden, Rare Trees Garden, Palm Garden, Bamboo Area, Shade Plant Area, Desert Plant Area, Fruit Garden, Aquatic Plant Garden, Peach Blossom Garden, Gymnosperm Area, and Bonsai Garden. The garden is divided into six major scenic areas: the Heavenly Scenery Area, Lake Area, Temple Area, Desert Plant Area, Fossil Forest Scenic Area, and Pine and Rhododendron Scenic Area. It features unique garden attractions such as the Cave of Wonders, Liangyi Pavilion, Jade Belt Bridge, Dragon Honor Tower, Listening Waves Pavilion, and Lansheng Pavilion, as well as a distinctive Paleontology Museum. The beautiful natural scenery, unique garden architecture, and mysterious plant kingdom are endlessly praised. The Palm Area is lush with green grass and interspersed with coconut and screwpine trees, presenting a rich tropical landscape; in the Shade Plant Area, carnivorous plants lie in wait to capture their prey; the vibrant flowers of the Dancing Orchid resemble court ladies stepping gracefully in dance; in the Fossil Forest, agate fossils stand proudly, their tree rings undiminished by eons, as if recounting Earth's ancient and dramatic history; the Desert Greenhouse is filled with colorful xerophytic plants; at dawn, the bell of Hongfa Temple echoes, and the chanting is solemn and moving; at sunset, the lake shimmers, and the reflections of green trees and pavilions paint a picturesque scene that makes one linger and forget to return. 🕘Opening hours: 6:00-21:30 (free from 6:00-8:00 and 18:00-21:30) 🎈No reservation required, scan on-site for tickets, 💰15r, students 💰5r 🚌Upon entering, there is a sightseeing bus on the road to the right, where staff will scan a QR code, 💰3r, and it takes 10 minutes to reach the 'Heavenly Scenery Station'. Get off and walk 400m up the small path in the top left corner to reach Hongfa Temple 🌿Next to the bus stop is Shaluo Lake, where you can walk around the lake, take deep breaths, and relax as the vegetation coverage is extremely high It's stunningly beautiful‼️In a second, you're transported back to Kanas, and there's a blooming rhododendron🌺, giving you the feeling of being in Yunnan There's a wide variety of plants💐including amaryllis, orchids, pansies, rhododendrons, and many air pineapples, with superb design that perfectly blends the wild with the man-made 👣The weather wasn't great on the way down the mountain, and it was peak time, so we had to queue for the bus. We chose to walk down the mountain🚶which took 33min, with a gentle slope, making it relatively easy Traveling on holidays is really tough, and we even encountered thunderstorms halfway through, making it even tougher. Let's go again on a sunny day. 🚇Transportation: Metro Line 2/8 - Xianhu Road Station Exit C; Bus Xianhu Botanical Garden Terminal