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.
In need of a moderate challenge to spice up your routine? Try night hiking in the city.
In a way, the less daunting peaks in Shenzhen almost seem designed for it: well paved paths reduce safety concerns, and light pollution helps illuminate the trail.
Plus, you can beat the worst of the subtropical heat during Shenzhen’s long summer.
Convenience aside, urban night hikes have the benefit of feeling adventurous: under the cover of semi-darkness, familiar scenery and cityscapes are rendered fresh and exciting.
For a change of pace, we decide to tackle Tanglang Mountain in Nanshan District, a climb that typically takes one to two hours in the daytime.
We come equipped with flashlights, cell phones and even a headlamp (available at Walmart and online) but soon find they aren’t necessary, at least for the first part of the trail.
As we walk along the paved road, the sky above us is a murky brown, making the outlines of trees, pavilions and other hikers faintly visible even at 9pm.
From the park entrance near the Taoyuancun subway station the path slopes up gently. Besides the occasional hiker blasting EDM, it’s a serene, leisurely climb.
In some ways, the dimness even works in Tanglang’s favor. For one, it helps mask the areas above the trail still shrouded in green netting, where concrete appears to have recently been laid.
It also helps the more appealing scenery to pop out. Every once in a while, we round a bend and catch a glimpse of glimmering highways and skyscrapers framed by branches. The occasional pavilion makes a dramatic silhouette against the sky.
It gets darker and less scenic as we begin our ascent to one of the peaks, however, with trees surrounding the path and blotting out the light.
For safety’s sake, we break out the flashlights as we begin the first of several unforgiving flights of stairs. At a viewpoint, a middle-aged park employee in a windowed booth points us towards the peak and yet more stairs.
Not long afterwards, we emerge to find a large paved space with a tall pavilion, satellite equipment and a terrace overlooking a broad slice of the city.
Below us lamp-lined roads sprawl in all directions and miniature cars flit between toy-sized buildings. Framing the vista is proof of how far we’ve come: dark slopes roll into the distance on either side, with a single pavilion visible atop a faraway-looking peak.
It’s a beautiful view, and for the half hour or so that we linger there, we have it all to ourselves – another benefit of hiking at nighttime.
Finally, we begin our descent. It’s less strenuous, if more careful; a slip in the dark could be inconvenient, not to mention painful.
Luckily, we conclude the roughly three-hour night hike without mishap. It may not have been much of a getaway from the city but it makes for a nice diversion, and an alternative way to spend a weekend night.
How to get there:
Take Shenzhen Metro Line 7 to Taoyuancun station, Exit D. Turn right onto Longzhu Liu Lu and walk approximately 13 minutes to reach the park’s northwest gate.
See listing for Tanglang Mountain Park.
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[Photos via Bailey Hu, Gordon McCambridge]
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