Recently, Guangzhou's Liwan District held the official unveiling ceremony for its first ancient tree park – Shamian Ancient Tree Park (沙面古树公园). 

Shamian Island is a brilliant gem of Liwan District. Shamian’s ancient trees are located in the heart of Guangzhou's central urban area. These trees have witnessed the changes in time and carried people's memories and emotions. The combination of Shamian's ancient architecture, sculptures, and ancient trees forms the most captivating "Three Treasures of Shamian."

Covering an area of 30 hectares, Shamian Ancient Tree Park is located in the vibrant cultural, commercial, and tourist area of Liwan. It is a renowned diplomatic and historical heritage site in Guangzhou. This artificial island occupies only 0.5% of Liwan District's area but is home to over 52% of the district's ancient trees, with 137 surviving ancient trees.

The oldest tree there is over 300 years old, while the youngest one is more than 100 years old. They serve as living witnesses to Shamian's century-long history and now stand as the most concentrated display of ancient trees in Guangzhou's central urban area.

Liwan District also have other parks worth visiting.

Huadiwan Pocket Park 花地湾口袋公园

If you enjoy leisurely strolling in the morning or camping by the river at dusk, Huadiwan Pocket Park offers the perfect setting to explore the beauty of nature by the water. In the context of Guangzhou’s rich two-thousand-year-old water culture, Liwan's water heritage resources are abundant. The combination of "flower culture" and "water culture" has shaped the the beautiful scenery you will see in Huadiwan.

Huadiwan Pocket Park caters to the needs of the locals. It strategically places over ten pocket parks along the path towards the Pearl River, forming an approximately 700-meter-long ecological corridor. This creates a distinctive open urban riverside park.

Guanggang Park 广钢公园

The area has a significant amount of industrial equipment left from its past. To protect and reuse this industrial heritage, the park's design respects and conserves the industrial relics. It seamlessly blends industrial heritage with modern elements, combining the ecological, recreational, and cultural aspects of the area. It is a comprehensive park characterized by the preservation and utilization of industrial heritage.

The park has been open for more than five months, attracting numerous people daily for leisure activities and exercise, meeting the diverse needs of the citizens for a better life.

Pocket Park under the Zhujiang Bridge 珠江桥底口袋公园

With tall and graceful trees, scattered shrubs, and clear and well-placed signage, the park has transformed the space under the bridge into a modern garden-style pocket park. It not only facilitates crossing for the public but also adds a green space for leisure activities. The space under the Guangzhou-Foshan radial bridge has been converted into a free parking area, which can accommodate over 200 non-motorized vehicles.

Leveraging its unique historical charm and street culture, the Liwan District has made significant efforts to expand green spaces through various means such as relocation, demolition of old buildings, and the expansion of greenery.

Over the past two years, 16 pocket parks and community parks have been created, with a total of more than 110,000 square meters of newly built and upgraded urban green spaces. These parks range in size from as small as 5 square meters to the ongoing construction of the 270,000 square meter Guanggang Park.