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21.12.1 Hong Kong Wetland Park
It is a conservation, education and tourism facility, located between 22° 28′ 07″ and 114° 00′ 19″
at the northern part of Tin Shui Wai, in Yuen
Long. It was to be an ecological mitigation area
(EMA) for the wetlands lost due to Tin Shui Wai
new town development. In 1998, International
Wetland Park and Visitor Centre Feasibility Study
Project was initiated by the Agriculture, Fisheries
and Conservation Department and the Hong
Kong Tourism Board with a view to expanding
the EMA to a wetland ecotourism attraction.
Subsequently, a wetland park at the EMA site
was constructed without compromising with its
ecological vulnerability. Further, the development
of the Wetland Park may also enhance the ecological functions of the EMA to a conservation,
education and tourism facility.
The Hong Kong Wetland Park has a large visitor centre (1 ha), called Wetland Interactive
World, and a 60-ha wetland reserve. The Wetland
Interactive World has themed exhibition galleries,
a theatre, a souvenir shop, an indoor play area
(swamp adventure) and a resource centre.
21.12.2 Mai Po Marshes
It is a nature reserve located near Yuen Long in
Hong Kong. It is part of Deep Bay which is an
internationally signifi cant wetland. The Inner
Deep Bay has been designated as a Ramsar site
in 1995. It supports a number of globally important wetland birds, which mainly arrive here in
winter. The education centre and natural conservation area is 380 acres (153.78 ha or 1.5 km
2 )
wide and its surrounding wetland has an area of
1,500 acres (607.04 ha or 6 km
2 ). It is a conservation site for insects, reptiles, mammals and
more than 350 species of birds. The reserve is
managed by the World Wide Fund for Nature
Hong Kong since 1983. Deep Bay faces threats
of pollution and rising mudfl at levels which,
Plate 21.9 Sihcao Wetlands
21.12 Wetlands of Hong Kong
21.12.1 Hong Kong Wetland Park
It is a conservation, education and tourism facility, located between 22° 28′ 07″ and 114° 00′ 19″
at the northern part of Tin Shui Wai, in Yuen
Long. It was to be an ecological mitigation area
(EMA) for the wetlands lost due to Tin Shui Wai
new town development. In 1998, International
Wetland Park and Visitor Centre Feasibility Study
Project was initiated by the Agriculture, Fisheries
and Conservation Department and the Hong
Kong Tourism Board with a view to expanding
the EMA to a wetland ecotourism attraction.
Subsequently, a wetland park at the EMA site
was constructed without compromising with its
ecological vulnerability. Further, the development
of the Wetland Park may also enhance the ecological functions of the EMA to a conservation,
education and tourism facility.
The Hong Kong Wetland Park has a large visitor centre (1 ha), called Wetland Interactive
World, and a 60-ha wetland reserve. The Wetland
Interactive World has themed exhibition galleries,
a theatre, a souvenir shop, an indoor play area
(swamp adventure) and a resource centre.
21.12.2 Mai Po Marshes
It is a nature reserve located near Yuen Long in
Hong Kong. It is part of Deep Bay which is an
internationally signifi cant wetland. The Inner
Deep Bay has been designated as a Ramsar site
in 1995. It supports a number of globally important wetland birds, which mainly arrive here in
winter. The education centre and natural conservation area is 380 acres (153.78 ha or 1.5 km
2 )
wide and its surrounding wetland has an area of
1,500 acres (607.04 ha or 6 km
2 ). It is a conservation site for insects, reptiles, mammals and
more than 350 species of birds. The reserve is
managed by the World Wide Fund for Nature
Hong Kong since 1983. Deep Bay faces threats
of pollution and rising mudfl at levels which,
Plate 21.9 Sihcao Wetlands
21.12 Wetlands of Hong Kong