Shenzhen: Landscape, Flora, Fauna & Geology - Essay Sample

Introduction

In July 1979, the CPC Central Committee and the State Council classified Shenzhen as an exclusive economic zone. From a "small fishing village," Shenzhen has become China's third-largest economic city in thirty years (Gladstone, 2020). This article will introduce Shenzhen from these three aspects: Landscape, flora and fauna, and underlying geology.

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Speaking of the landscape, Shenzhen is a megacity with numerous skyscrapers, grand architectural designs, and modern buildings combine to give the city a brilliant landscape and glorious nightscape (Hinsbergh, 2018). The Ping An IFC Tower is one of the world's highest observation decks sits at 550 meters, which makes it become the premier Shenzhen tourist highlight (Hinsbergh,2018). Tourists can enjoy the full view of the city center and Pearl River Delta's high-speed rail corridor from the deck on the 114th and 115th floor.

"Shen Zhen faces the tropical South Sea of China and is a transitional region from the tropics to the subtropics. The regional representative vegetation types are tropical evergreen monsoon forests and southern subtropical monsoon evergreen broadleaved forests"(Chen, S., Liang, Z., & Deng, Y. ,1985). It is hard to see any animals in the city due to modernization. However, there is a rich animal collection in Shenzhen Safari Park that features animals from all over the world. Additionally, there are rare breeds, such as the rare ligers and tigons, as well as thill performances. The large-scale animal musical "Carnival of 100 Animals" is also an excellent destination for family outings. ("Shenzhen Safari Park travel guidebook")

Shenzhen is located in southern Guangdong, facing Daya Bay and Dapeng Bay in the east, bordering the Pearl River Estuary and Lingdingyang in the west, and connecting Hong Kong with the Shenzhen River in the south. ("Where is Shenzhen, China?"). It is located south of the Tropic of Cancer,22.55 latitude, and 114.07 longitudes, and it is situated at elevation 4 meters above sea level. ("Where is Shenzhen, China?"). There are five rivers with a basin area of more than 100 square kilometers, including Shenzhen River, Maozhou River, Longgang River, Guanlan River, and Pingshan River ("General information about Shenzhen").

The weather patterns in Shenzhen are mild with plenty of sunshine and rainfall year-round due to its subtropical climate. Spring is from February and April when the weather is usually variable -- hot days turn into cooler nights. Summer is rather long, from late April until the end of October, when the unfavorable weather like rainstorms, thunderstorms, and typhoons are frequent there. The average temperature is about 35 C (95 F), but the humidity will make people hotter than it is. ("Shenzhen Weather"). Autumn is starting from January to early February, with droughts of varying degrees happening almost every year due to less rain and significant evaporation. Shenzhen has average wintertime of 24 days every year between January to early February with an average temperature of 10 C (50 F) ("Shenzhen Weather").

Fig. 3 Eight types of land cover in Shenzhen, China. Landscape metrics were calculated based on this landscape map. Adapted from "Assessment of Landscape Patterns Affecting Land Surface Temperature in Different Biophysical Gradients in Shenzhen, China", by M.Xie, Y. Wang, Q.Chang and M.Ye,2013, Urban Ecosystems,16,p.877.Copyright by Urban Ecosystems.

Assessment of Your Hometown Today

Shenzhen is a city located on the Southern tip of the central Chinese mainland. The city acts as a link to Hongkong and mainland China. One of the most significant environmental issues that the city experiences is water pollution despite the billions spent in the fight to curb pollution (Chunxing & Long, 2018). Investigative reports from the news in the city explain that more than half of the rivers flowing through the city are polluted, black, and smelly. Water sampling is done regularly in the city, and the rating is done on a scale of one to five. Levels one to three indicate that the water is safe for consumption, while levels four and five mean that the water can only be used for industrial purposes, swimming, or aquaculture (Chunxing & Long, 2018).

Since 2014, pollution has significantly increased, especially in the Buji, Shawan, Guanlan, and Xinzhou rivers (Chunxing & Long, 2018). According to news reports, those who live near the rivers endanger their lives in several ways, especially due to the exposure to expiratory diseases and the prevalence of mosquitoes (Chunxing & Long, 2018). Those who live near the polluted rivers experience health issues like sore throats, itching noses, and the burning of eyes. Even after several complaints to the government, water pollution in Shenzhen continues to intensify. The most significant contributing factors to water pollution in the city are rapid population growth and limited rainfall, which lead to the deposition of untreated sewage into the water systems.

The primary stakeholder in the water pollution issue in Shenzhen is the national government. According to the official figures, the government disbursed 4.7 yuan billion to manage water pollution between 2000-2005 and twelve billion yuan between 2005 and 2010 (Chunxing & Long, 2018). More than twelve billion yuan was spent from 2011 to date (Chunxing & Long, 2018). In 2005, the government promised to eliminate water pollution in the city in the next decade, and the primary remedy was to treat all sewage before being discharged into the rivers (Chunxing & Long, 2018). In the past ten years, Shenzhen, through its government, has constructed over thirty sewage treatment plants, but sewage pipelines are yet to be developed.

Shenzhen city has one of the most creative housing designs in China. One of the city's creative strategies is the application of UNESCO's events. The town benefits architecturally from its geographical position since it is on the heart of the Chinese megalopolis (Chen & Kaufmann, 2018). Shenzhen also collaborates with Hong Kong to develop state of the art architectural projects, which has led o accelerated urbanism (Chen & Kaufmann, 2018). Some of the significant architectural buildings in the city built with precision are the Sky Club House, Mawan Mile, Design Society, Tai Chi Sales Center, Prince' building, Shenzhen Stock Exchange Headquarters, and Universiade, among others.

The neighborhood styles in Shenzhen are spectacular. For decades there has been rapid urbanization in Shenzhen, and the vast population led to the creation of urban neighborhoods. Most of the neighborhoods are gated and with privatized amenities, and the city has become one of the most well-established living places after years of development and innovations (Chen & Kaufmann, 2018). The city continues to experience intense spatial transformation by replacing downgraded neighborhoods with shopping malls, luxury housing, and offices. However, urban development ignores the affordability of housing and amenities of the lower class. Most villages in the area have an urban look since all streets are paved (Chen & Kaufmann, 2018). Some streets between buildings in some urban villages are narrow and are a risk for fire disasters.

Regarding Shenzhen demographics, census data is easily accessible since it is on the internet. The city's population is about ten million and spread across 1,991 square kilometers (Mao et al., 2010). The population growth over the last three decades can be attributed to high technology, logistics, and cultural industries. The city is a significant choice for expatriates due to job opportunities and open-mindedness. The average life expectancy in the city is seventy-eight years, according to data collected in 2016 (Mao et al., 2010).

There are various modes of transport that people use to go to work in the city. Public transportation is one of the conventional means used whereby citizens board buses, public bicycles, taxis, the national railway, metro, and tram, among others. Others use their vehicles for transportation to work.

There are varieties of recreational facilities in the city, which include surfing, cricket, ice skating, martial arts, and swimming, among others. Some of the activity spaces include golf courses, beaches, resorts, and beauty spas (Tianhong et al., 2010). Typical residents can enjoy the activities named above in the city. Sometimes, there are competitions in extracurricular activities like martial arts, surfing, and swimming, which residents enjoy.

For the last three decades, Shenzhen has been vigilant on urban expansion and sustainable land use. By 2005, the land under construction in the city accounted for about 47% of the total land area of the city (Shen & Kee, 2017). Natural conditions primarily influence the spatial pattern in the city's architecture. The town contains natural land resources like rivers, lakes, mountains, and other physical features that significantly contribute to land use in the city (Tianhong et al., 2010). Apart from the city, there is a proliferation of urban villages where low-cost housing is available for the middle- and lower-class individuals. The urban villages are characterized by the increasing construction of buildings for diverse functions like industrial, public services, and residential purposes (Shen & Kee, 2017). Therefore, there is a range of activities that can be done on the urban villages, and the settlements are diverse and accommodate migrants. Two thousand nine data indicated that there were more than 330,000 buildings in 318 urban villages in Shenzhen and that the land use in the city is diverse (Shen & Kee, 2017).

Shenzhen will look like Hong Kong in the next two to five decades. Being a megacity with accelerating urban development, Shenzhen will be a significant city with state-of-the-art projects. The city's high population growth will enable more development in the next 100 years.

The level of awareness among residents regarding environmental issues is high. The government advocates for environmental pollution and both residents and industries are aware of the environmental laws of the city.

Shenzhen has a sustainability plan where the city is focused on being an example of societal satisfaction and civilization. The plan also involves transforming the city into a high-quality development center and innovation and leadership in environmental protection and public service (Chunxing & Long, 2018). Currently, Shenzhen is China's leading city for sustainability policies. The city is strict on pollution policies, and there is an enforcement of new environmental standards that are mandatory for industries to follow. The sustainability plan encourages industries in the city to support high-tech development, and be climate-friendly by all means possible (Chunxing & Long, 2018).

There are several plans to add parks and open spaces in the city in the future. There is a plan to construct a thirty-billion-yuan theme park on the eastern side of the city (Chunxing & Long, 2018). The theme park will be an animation center.

Analysis of Human Habitation

Historical land use of Shenzhen can be linked to its geographical location within the Pearl River Delta, which contributed to the earliest settlers in the region to practice fishing for their consumption. Despite Shenzhen being surrounded by over 160 rivers, including the Shenzhen river and the Maozhou river, fishing was never an economic activity in the region (Shen, 2008). The Song Dynasty turned Shenzhen into a trade route for transporting salt and spices in the South China sea. Yuan Dynasty expanded the economic territories of the region by making it known for its massive production and exportati...