Getting Here:
Since Fenghuangshan Forest Park is not directly accessible by subway, taking a bus or a taxi is required after arriving by metro.
① Take Shenzhen Metro Line 12 to Huaide Station. From Exit C, you can take a taxi or transfer to a bus to reach the park.
② Take buses M184, M236, M251, M252, M335, or M419 and get off at the Tengfeng Fenghuangshan Avenue Intersection (腾丰凤凰山大道路口) stop. Alternatively, take buses 650, M284, or M334 and get off at the Fenghuangshan Base(凤凰山脚) stop. From there, simply walk along Fenghuangshan Avenue to reach the park.
Nature Observation:
Almost all biological groups can be observed here. From my perspective, birds, insects, arachnids, and amphibians & reptiles are highly recommended.
Best Time to Visit:
Migratory birds can be observed from November to April of the following year. For amphibians and reptiles, the best period is from mid-April to early October. Arachnids share the same optimal viewing season as amphibians and reptiles. Insects, however, have no strict seasonal limitations.
Forest Chaser (Lyriothemis elegantissima)
I hope this planning guide and review of Shenzhen’s natural spaces will be helpful for iNaturalist users planning a trip to the city, and I will never stop updating it as long as just one person views it or asks a question. Thank you all for your support and encouragement. Please note that this article is intended solely to encourage observation, not destructive collecting. To protect certain sensitive species, I will not mention them here; instead, I will focus on the common species you are most likely to encounter from a visitor’s perspective.
Shenzhen is one of the most active cities for the iNaturalist community in mainland China. As a local enthusiast, I hope it doesn’t just leave international users—especially those in the flora and fauna community—with the impression of being a “City of the Future” or a “Cyberpunk City.” This city has much more than just cold technology: autonomous vehicles in the city center, delivery drones, dazzling light shows, and robots running convenience stores. It also possesses profound natural heritage. In my opinion, this is the warmest, most endearing dimension of the city that goes beyond its technological facade.
For iNaturalist users who are interested in traveling in China, and especially in Shenzhen, if you have truly flown from overseas to get here and land at Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport, you can easily be drawn to the dense cluster of observation icons just north of the airport when you open the iNaturalist map. This densely marked area is a natural space I simply cannot bypass: Fenghuang Mountain (Phoenix Mountain), one of the largest natural mountains in Bao’an District.
Fenghuang Mountain（凤凰山） literally means “the mountain where phoenixes rest.” Standing at 376 meters above sea level, it is primarily covered by secondary subtropical evergreen broad-leaved forests. On satellite maps, its arc-shaped ridge runs north-to-south, standing out prominently amidst the dense industrial parks. Starting from the square, we can stroll around the ponds at the foot of the mountain. This is a highly manicured park, and various common heron species roost among the trees by the water, such as the Black-crowned Night Heron (Nycticorax nycticorax) and the Little Egret (Egretta garzetta). However, this is not the most captivating part of the foothill park; we need to venture deeper. After passing a lotus pond, we climb a rather steep concrete path to reach an abandoned quarry from the 1970s and 1980s. The quarry is enclosed on all sides and is now completely overgrown with vegetation. Dragonfly enthusiasts can spot the Russet Percher (Neurothemis fulvia) here—a stunningly vibrant and common red dragonfly. There are also several species of Orthetrum dragonflies that fly very close to people. If you are lucky enough to visit during the summer months of June or July, you might also find the Forest Chaser (Lyriothemis elegantissima), a relatively rare local species. It is small with a broad abdomen; males are brilliantly red, while females are yellow and black with highly ornamental patterns.
A Tailed Jay (Graphium agamemnon) nectaring on Common Lantana (Lantana camara)
You also have a good chance of spotting dozens of swallowtail species, the most common being the Chinese Peacock Swallowtail (Papilio bianor) and the Spangle Swallowtail (Papilio protenor). They gather on mud puddles by the ponds to absorb minerals and feed on the nectar of Common Lantana (Lantana camara). The nectar from this invasive plant has become a crucial food source for native flower-visiting insects, including Milkweed Butterflies, Blues, Pansies, and various wasps. Therefore, staking out these bushes is the smartest strategy for observing insects.
For visitors, there are three main routes to reach Fengyan Ancient Temple. One is the winding mountain highway, with its entrance located next to the parking lot. The other two are stone-step trails, situated on the right side of the large boulder inscribed with the three characters “山凰凤” . The stone-step trail closest to the boulder is quite steep and leads directly to Fengyan Ancient Temple, requiring at least a half-hour walk. The trail on the far right is called the Streamside Trail; as the name suggests, it is built along a creek and is relatively gentle. Its route largely overlaps with that of the winding mountain highway, and both of these overlapping paths take at least 40 minutes to walk.
Indian Forest Skink (Sphenomorphus indicus)
Blue Whistling Thrush (Myophonus caeruleus)
Along the Streamside Trail, it is easy to spot the Blue Whistling Thrush (Myophonus caeruleus), a large, dark-colored resident bird. They hunt aquatic insects like fishflies and tussock moths by the creek, and will occasionally sing near you to defend their territory. You also have a good chance of finding the Indian Forest Skink (Sphenomorphus indicus), a yellowish-brown lizard with dark longitudinal stripes on both sides. They rustle loudly through the leaf litter and are the animals tourists are most likely to encounter on the path. From mid-November to February, these creeks serve as one of the stable wintering grounds in Shenzhen for the Eurasian Woodcock (Scolopax rusticola). Spotting them requires a thermal imager; otherwise, you are likely to get jumpscared when they suddenly flush into the air.
Yuanshi（源石）：the rock where the spring water originates, features a massive Chinese character “源” (Source), and the surrounding forest is one of the most stable wintering grounds for migratory birds.
If you are in no rush to climb up to Fengyan Ancient Temple, you can head to Yuanshi. If you take the Streamside Trail uphill, you will pass a small stone bridge and then a small pavilion. Behind the pavilion, a branching stone-step trail leads off; walking up this trail will bring you to an intersection with the winding mountain highway. Upon reaching the highway, immediately turn back until you see another stone-step trail on the opposite side that you can enter. This is one of the branches of the upper section of the Streamside Trail. To distinguish it from the main path, I will refer to it as the “Upper Section Branch.” This part of the Streamside Trail is quite lively in winter, with various resident and migratory birds active by the creek. Although the density is significantly lower than at Tiezai Mountain, you can still occasionally spot species that are hard to find there, such as the Rufous-tailed Robin (Larvivora sibilans) and the Black-naped Monarch (Hypothymis azurea).
Top: Fujian Niltava (Niltava davidi)
Bottom: Japanese Robin (Larvivora akahige)
Conversely, adjacent to the Upper Section Branch of the Streamside Trail is a branch of the winding mountain highway. There are three access points leading up to this section of the highway. Once on this stretch, you will find Qinfengtai. The woods beneath this mid-mountain pavilion are a habitat for the Hainan Blue Flycatcher (Cyornis hainanus). During July and August, you have a chance to see them bringing their fledglings to forage and socialize. In 2023, both the Upper Section Branch of the Streamside Trail and this highway branch became famous in Shenzhen’s birdwatching community due to sightings of the Japanese Robin (Larvivora akahige) and the Fujian Niltava (Niltava davidi). However, due to trees being uprooted by typhoons and subsequent forest landscape renovations, the bird habitats here are currently in decline. If you go birdwatching in this area, please be mentally prepared to return empty-handed.
Siler collingwoodi
Let’s return to the main routes of the Streamside Trail and the winding mountain highway. If you are on the winding mountain highway and encounter few people, arachnid enthusiasts should pay special attention to the railings on both sides and take a moment to observe. This area is home to at least 20 species of jumping spiders in various colors, and you have a very high probability of spotting four to five different species during a single hike. Some of the most vibrantly colored species include Siler collingwoodi, the Wasp-mimic Jumping Spider (Rhene tamula), the Multi-Coloured Phintella (Phintelloides versicolor), and Epocilla calcarata.
After walking to the Fengyan Ancient Temple Plaza, you can take a brief rest. It is worth noting that this plaza is not the summit. From the northeast corner of the plaza, near the strange rocks and the wishing area, you can continue up the mountain trail. However, from this point onward, the path consists entirely of stone steps, and it will take another 30 to 40 minutes to reach the summit, Wangyanlou. This section of the trail is known as Feiyun Peak. It serves as the starting point of the Kunpeng Trail, an ecological corridor that runs through Shenzhen’s various natural spaces.
Honestly, there are not many particularly noteworthy organisms along this stretch to Wangyanlou, as the main focus here is simply climbing higher for the panoramic views. Nevertheless, as a visitor, you are certainly free to search for any biological groups that interest you. I will not elaborate further on this, because, to be completely honest, I really cannot recall any unforgettable natural observation memories from this specific section.
From top to bottom: White-lipped Pit Viper (Trimeresurus albolabris) , Chinese Cobra (Naja atra), Mountain Slug Snake (Pareas margaritophorus) , Many-banded Krait (Bungarus multicinctus)
If you are not afraid of the dark, are willing to take a risk, and happen to be a herpetology enthusiast, this area can also serve as your first stop for night observation in Shenzhen.Although it was only 7:00 PM, the vast majority of the trails were already closed, with only a few remaining open. These open trails pass through Boshang Forest, a woodland that is home to several of the most common and widespread snake species in Shenzhen. Known in Shenzhen’s herpetology community as a “wholesale market for snakes,” night observations at Fenghuang Mountain carry a significant chance of encountering more than five snakes in just an hour , which is already considered a relatively high density.
From a visitor’s perspective, you are most likely to find the Many-banded Krait (Bungarus multicinctus), one of the most venomous snakes in Asia, as well as the Chinese Cobra (Naja atra), the most widespread species in Shenzhen (locally known as “Fanshantou” or rice-spat-head). You may also spot the White-lipped Pit Viper (Trimeresurus albolabris) darting through the shrubs, along with the gentle Mountain Slug Snake (Pareas margaritophorus) and the Taiwan Kukri Snake (Oligodon formosanus). As for amphibians, the Spotted Narrow-mouthed Frog (Kalophrynus interlineatus) represents the local forest frogs; its pointed snout and Y-shaped arrangement of dark markings make it highly recognizable.
As the mountain that sparked my childhood fascination with nature, I have logged over 2,300 species here, ranging from plankton and plants to fungi and animals. It is undoubtedly the natural space in Shenzhen that I know best. For the natural spaces covered in the second part and beyond, due to travel distances, my visit frequency will be lower than for the first two locations. Nevertheless, I will still summarize my personal experiences to provide you with some useful reference and assistance.
Note: If you plan to reach the summit of Feiyun Peak, adequate hydration and sun protection are absolutely essential. For night observations, please avoid entering the shrubbery, and maintain a safe distance from snakes to prevent them from becoming stressed and acting defensively. This natural space attracts a massive volume of visitors. Pilgrims who come to burn incense and pray may affect your experience. If you wish to avoid dense crowds, visiting on weekdays is highly recommended.
Previous part： https://forum.inaturalist.org/t/a-guide-for-inaturalist-users-visiting-shenzhen-tiezaishan-park/86353?u=pandahead_hoimoon