Daytripper is a regular column that aims to help people get the most out of their PRD experience by proposing fun excursions that can be made in a single day to explore the local culture and nature of the region.
It didn’t take long after moving to Guangzhou to notice that the city is largely devoid of birds. Sure, there is no shortage of wet market chickens, ducks and geese, and yes, wild birds do endure in the city, but compared to other other cities, Guangzhou seems to be seriously lacking in the ‘feathered friend’ department.
If you, like myself, have found yourself missing the chirpy serenade of the sparrow, the sorrowful swan songs of the early morning and the crow’s ‘caw,’ you will thoroughly enjoy this month’s featured day trip: Nansha Wetland Park.
Chosen as one of the ‘Eight Sights of Guangzhou’ in 2011, this man-made eco-destination is located about a two-hour transit journey from the city center – although the commute does have its rewards. At Nansha Wetland Park, the chaotic sounds of the city are replaced with a symphony of bird calls and, on my visit, the rustling of leaves in the autumn wind.
Of China’s 271 wetland bird species, 140 of them can be found in the park, depending on the season (many of the birds in the park are migratory), including the oriental white stork – a first-class national protected species.
According to one of the many bilingual signs that dot the Nansha Wetland Park, up to 100,000 migratory birds spend the winter in the park each year.
Visitors must pay RMB50 to enter and have three main options for exploring: on foot, via shared-bike or by boat. The latter option offers curious daytrippers a unique view of the park’s numerous waterways, albeit for the kinda-steep price of RMB150.
Myself, I decided to walk, utilizing the Nansha Wetland Park’s system of roads and boardwalks, which hug the water’s edge and occasionally jut out over the water. While strolling the wooden walkways, I spotted a myriad of fish, over a dozen different bird species and two large and healthy-looking rats attempting to procreate in a shrub (seriously).
There are a few food (read: snack) options in the park, as well as an interpretive center. And, as previously mentioned, most of the signs I encountered included both Chinese and English.
Full disclosure: navigating the rural areas of Guangzhou’s peripheral Nansha District requires both a hearty dose of patience and basic Chinese language skills (or a Chinese friend you can call in a pinch). Much like Huadu, Conghua and Zengcheng districts, Nansha has limited metro service (with five stops in the entire district, all on Line 4) and those without a car will be required to master the various bus routes that traverse Guangzhou’s southernmost region.
If venturing by bus around Nansha sounds like a tiring endeavor, you may want to consider spending the night. We can recommend the Sheraton Guangzhou Nansha Hotel, which is located a 15-minute walk from Guangzhou Metro Line 4’s Jinzhou Station and boasts a fantastic Chinese restaurant, Yue, honored as 'Outstanding New Chinese Restaurant’ in our 2017 That’s PRD Food & Drink Awards.
How to get there:
Take Guangzhou Metro Line 4 to Jiaomen Station and then catch the No. 2 bus, which you will ride for 31 stops to Si San Chong. From there, catch either the No. 11 bus or the No. 25 bus, which you will ride for four stops to Nansha Wetland Park.
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