During weekends, Shenzhen’s Dasha River in Nanshan district is stacked with people of all ages. Seniors take a stroll down the green belt that runs from Xili Lake to Shenzhen Bay. Children run along the riverbanks dotted with flowers and grass in season. Young couples take selfies joyfully and walk their pets. But a few years ago, the 13.7-km river was notorious for its pollutants and smelly water.
The river, which reopened to the public in 2019, is a poster child of river improvement and rejuvenation. With clear water, vast grass lands, birds and sandbars, the ecological corridor has become a new sought-after spot for people to take a walk, jog, fish and row boats, providing city dwellers a place to breathe in the concrete jungle.
When rivers become a part of people’s everyday life, people will naturally protect rivers. The best way to make it happen is through rejuvenation. This way, people are able to enjoy the rivers, feel the pulse of the rivers that have seen the cities rise and fall for thousands of years as their oldest dwellers.
Cities in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, which flourished by hint of rivers, have made rivers an integral part of its urbanization and lofty goal of becoming a livable, greener city cluster.
Take the case of Shenzhen. Around 2016, over half of its 310 rivers were polluted – the most in 36 cities under the nation’s water quality surveillance. In just four years, the city eliminated all of the heavy pollution in these rivers and was recognized as the nation’s five cities achieving most remarkable improvements in water quality. More can be done to make these riverside public spaces more attractive and interactive.
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A promising option could be to increase some artistic highlights along the rivers and Hong Kong’s experience of revitalizing Tuen Mun River can offer some answers.
On the banks of the river in New Territory, a series of adorable and imaginative artworks scattered around, adding a touch of art to the flowing landscape. The artworks, which drew inspirations from the district’s history and daily lives, is part of the government’s plan to restore the river. They include a row of bronze sculptures featuring interesting and strange local folk tales, which stand at the river guardrails and greet every passerby.
There are also some charming clay cats, dressed in colorful knits. Their dresses are regularly changed to welcome new visitors. A ping-pong table made of special materials is another must-visit art installation, as it can create melody when the ball rebounds onto the table.
Better leveraging public wisdom in the river improvement works also vitals. Rivers in the city deeply bond with the residents. Having them engaged from the initial planning of the project will make the river better serve the public’s needs, and raise people’s awareness about protecting the public property.
Besides holding exhibitions and lectures to gather public opinions, there are various other approaches worth considering.
When restoring the Izumi River in Yokohama, Japan, the local government organized around 400 elementary students to participate in a workshop, asking them how the river should look like in the future.
During the revitalization project of Hong Kong’s Kai Tak River, 17 secondary and primary schools in the district launched rich extracurricular activities related to the river, covering visual arts, general studies, history, and science, such as counting the birds inhabiting along the river and conducting experiments to examine water quality. An Italian artist also waded through the river and recorded the sound of water flowing across the land, to make the public feel the pulse of the river.
Transformation of river landscapes often lasts for years. Introducing businesses properly can make these projects more sustainable.
Before this summer, few people would expect that the Liangma River, which passes through central Beijing and once used for ancient people to wash their horses, can become the capital’s trendiest place to spend leisure time.
Business elements have been incorporated into the river development work at an early stage. Visitors can take cruise ships to enjoy the views of nearby bustling business districts and the consulate buildings of various countries. Restaurants, cafes and bars with exotic ambience have also sprung up on the river banks.
It is a flagship project featuring the collaboration between the government and enterprises. Twenty-two large-scale firms along the river were invited to invest in the government project to rejuvenate the river. Their explorations also paid off with the huge traffic flows brought by the river’s makeover.
Rivers and cities are closely intertwined. Many international cities got a new lease of life after rejuvenating its major rivers, like London’s River Thames and the Seine in Paris. If the Bay Area’s river spaces can be clearer and more energetic, the region will make a great leap forward to be a word-class city cluster.
Li Bingcun began her career in journalism in 2016 as a sub-editor for online section of China Daily Hong Kong. She now works as a reporter covering political and metro news, and is curious about life and people in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area. She can be reached at bingcun@chinadailyhk.com .
