Intl. edition of 'Kunpeng Trail' published

The international edition of “Kunpeng Trail: Exploration and Discovery of Romantic Geography in Shenzhen 2.0” (hereafter referred to as “Kunpeng Trail 2.0”) has made its debut in Shenzhen, with a simultaneous launch at the 36th Hong Kong Book Fair. The set comprises three volumes — simplified Chinese, traditional Chinese, and English — offering enhanced content and a globally oriented narrative that showcases the city’s “mountains-and-sea vista” initiative.

The start of the Kunpeng Trail. File photos

The trail that binds a megacity

Kunpeng Trail stretches approximately 200 kilometers from Feiyunding Peak at Fenghuang Mountain in the west to Dayan Peak at Qiniang Mountain in Dapeng New Area in the east. Named one of China’s top 10 hiking destinations for 2024, the trail is divided into 20 sections that traverse ridges, forests, lakes, streams, and coastline. Walkers experience the gentle western terrain, the rugged central highlands, and the dramatic eastern mountain ranges — all within a single continuous route.

An aerial view of a section of the Kunpeng Trail along the coast in east Shenzhen.

The trail weaves together the city’s natural landscapes and its urban core. It functions both as a public recreational asset and an ecological corridor for wildlife, linking fragmented habitats and enabling biodiversity to flourish.

A sensory journey beyond the guidebook

“Kunpeng Trail 2.0” blends photography, hand-drawn illustrations, documentary footage, audio, and VR panoramas to bring all 20 sections to life. It captures not only the scenery and local species but also the cultural heritage and urban character along the way.

The “Kunpeng Trail 2.0” set comprises three volumes in simplified Chinese, traditional Chinese, and English.

The book opens with a foundational question: “What kind of city gave birth to Kunpeng Trail?” It answers with data-driven insights into Shenzhen’s population, topography, climate, and seasonal rhythms, supplemented by maps of the city’s “three trails and three routes” network — enabling readers to build a mental map of Shenzhen’s natural and urban fabric before they ever set foot on the trail.

At its core, the book presents a series of walking journals that explore the trail through multiple lenses: the physical act of hiking, encounters with fellow walkers, sweeping aerial views of mountains meeting the sea, and close-up observations of seasonal transitions, urban wildlife, and pockets of wilderness within a megacity. Together, they reveal how a metropolis of over 17 million people can harbor such profound and gentle “romantic geography.”

A cross-cultural dialogue with the world

More than a guidebook, “Kunpeng Trail 2.0” represents a cross-cultural ecological dialogue — an invitation letter from Shenzhen to the global community. Within its pages, the grandeur of sky and earth is distilled into words and images, inviting readers worldwide to decode not only the natural secrets of Shenzhen’s mountains and seas, but also the city’s enduring pursuit of a poetic, harmonious urban existence.

Pages from the English edition of “Kunpeng Trail 2.0.”

The books are available for purchase at major bookstores and online retailers.