Deputies call for opening of SZ River area

Writer: Han Ximin  | Editor: Holly Wang  | From:  | Updated: 2019-03-12

Deputies to the National People’s Congress (NPC) from Shenzhen suggested developing the Shenzhen River area as the starting point of the Lok Ma Chau Loop Area.

The Shenzhen River, the border river between Shenzhen and Hong Kong, is dotted with five checkpoints, through which around 300,000 people cross the border between the two cities each day.

The upstream of The Shenzhen River can extend to Liantang Checkpoint, which is under construction, in Luohu District.

The Shenzhen River has a rich cultural heritage that has witnessed the history of Shenzhen’s development from a border fishing village to a world metropolis after the country adopted the reform and opening-up policy. Its ecological value is that it can be used as a popular science education base, due to its natural geography linking Dapeng Bay and Shenzhen Bay, according to a report by the Shenzhen Economic Daily.

The mouth of the Shenzhen River is rich with mangroves and is a paradise for birds.

The banks of the Shenzhen River are a restricted area and administered by Guangdong and Hong Kong border police, which requires special permits to enter.

Deputies suggested the national border administration offer policy support to optimize its administration mechanism and work on policies to open the river area by restricting the number of people, time periods and places for visits. Deputies suggested that the national authorities carry out environmental impact research and coordinate with the Hong Kong side to open the Shenzhen River area to the public.