Shenzhen puts bird-friendly lighting into law in national first

A flock of black-tailed godwits takes flight over the wetlands of Shenzhen Bay, a major stopover and wintering site for migratory birds along the East Asian-Australasian Flyway. Photos by Lu Xiangrong

Shenzhen has become the first city in China to introduce legislation addressing nighttime lighting around migratory bird habitats, under new mangrove wetland protection regulations that took effect today.

The regulations call for improved planning and management of nighttime lighting in and around mangrove wetlands used by migratory birds, giving legal backing to the city's efforts to reduce light pollution and protect wildlife.

The move follows a widely discussed incident earlier this year when a visitor to Shenzhen Bay Park suggested installing more streetlights to brighten its relatively dark pathways. Park authorities declined, explaining that brighter lighting could disrupt the resting and migration patterns of birds wintering in the area. Their decision drew widespread public support.

Located along the East Asian-Australasian Flyway, Shenzhen is a major stopover and wintering ground for migratory birds. Nearly 100,000 birds visit Shenzhen Bay each year to rest, feed or spend the winter.

The mangrove wetlands in Futian alone have recorded more than 270 bird species, including over 60 under national protection, according to Yang Qiong, a senior engineer at the Guangdong Neilingding-Futian National Nature Reserve.

Among the best-known visitors is the endangered black-faced spoonbill, for which Shenzhen Bay is an important wintering habitat. A global census in 2026 recorded 341 black-faced spoonbills in Shenzhen Bay, accounting for 4.4% of the global population.

A flock of black-faced spoonbills flies over Shenzhen Bay, an important wintering ground for the endangered species.  

The new rules come as the autumn migration season reaches its peak. Monitoring by the nature reserve and Shenzhen University shows that tens of thousands of migratory birds have already arrived in Shenzhen. Researchers have also recorded the greater white-fronted goose, a nationally protected species, wintering in the city for the first time.

Shenzhen has a history of adapting urban infrastructure to protect its mangroves. In the 1990s, the planned route of Binhai Boulevard was shifted more than 200 meters north to avoid the core mangrove area. A noise barrier designed to shield birds from traffic was also installed along the road.

More recently, streetlights along Binhai Boulevard and Shenzhen Bay Park have been fitted with warmer, less disruptive lighting, with brightness adjusted at different hours and some lights switched off on a schedule.

Huang Zhenhui, a deputy to the Shenzhen Municipal People's Congress and chairman of the supervisory board of the Guangdong Lawyers Association, said the new legislation offers a potential model for other densely populated cities seeking to balance urban development with the protection of migratory bird habitats.

The lighting provision is part of the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone Regulations on Mangrove Wetland Protection, which establish a legal framework for protecting the city's mangrove ecosystems.