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Dedicated Shenzhen Bike Lanes Planned for Next Year

Posted: 12/22/2014 11:00 am

shenzhen pedestrian walkwayShenzhen’s reputation as China’s most pedestrian-friendly city is about to get a boost following the announcement of plans to construct more paths for pedestrians and cyclists.

The Shenzhen Municipal Transportation and Transport Committee has partnered with the Futian local government to build a bike path that crosses North Ring Road at the Xinzhou overpass. The overpass will include a roof to provide shelter for pedestrians.

Scheduled to start construction next year, the plan also includes designated bike trails running from Meilin to the downtown core. Car lanes along Hongli Road will be narrowed in order to facilitate the bike lane.

Here are some photos of what the new addition will look like:

shenzhen pedestrian walkwayshenzhen pedestrian walkwayshenzhen pedestrian walkwayRelated:

Photos: Shenzhen Traffic Police

Haohao

Shenzhen Named Mainland China’s Most Pedestrian-Friendly City

Posted: 09/13/2014 10:00 am

‘Spring Flower’ footbridge in Nanshan District in Shenzhen drew a whopping investment of RMB 50 million.

Shenzhen, the southern boom-town of Guangdong, was recently voted mainland China’s most pedestrian-friendly city, according to a report by the Natural Resources Defense Council, a New York-based environmental advocacy group.

Guangzhou followed Shenzhen, ranking No. 4. The council surveyed a total of 35 cities in China; Shenzhen scored 67.83 points out of a possible one hundred in terms of walking safety, comfort, convenience and government management, reported Jing Daily on September 11.

Although not part of mainland China, Hong Kong took the top prize for being a walkable city, based on its sound infrastructure and public facilities. Shanghai placed 3rd, while Dalian placed 5th.

A number of specific locations were also recommended by the newspaper. The 14 areas include: Qian Hai, Shekou, Nanshan commercial culture center, Gaoxin District, Huaqiao City, Windows on the World, Shenzhen Bay, Chegong Temple, Central District, Huanggang Port, Huaqiang North, Luohu commercial district, Shatou Jiao and Daxiao Meisha.

Many local residents, however, continue to complain that Shenzhen’s facilities are less than ideal, citing narrow sidewalks, uneven surfaces, poor traffic lights and maintenance as primary problems.

What do you think? Does Shenzhen live up to being rewarded as mainland China’s most pedestrian-friendly city?

Photos: Shenzhen Jianxu Testing Engineering Services Co Ltd

Haohao

Family walks home together… from Shenzhen to Hunan Province

Posted: 08/6/2013 7:00 am

An 8 year-old girl is joining her parents in walking from Shenzhen’s Baoan District to their hometown of Shaoyang in Hunan Province. The family set off on the 700 km journey on July 13 and have already reached Yongzhou so are within around 100km of their destination, Nandu Daily reports.

Xiong Bingji on a country lane on Saturday Aug. 3, image courtesy of Southern Metropolis Daily

Zeng Ziqi was born in Shenzhen and is currently in the 3rd grade. Her father, who had been in Shenzhen for 20 years, had always fantasised about walking back to his hometown, staying in villages and towns along the way. He ensured that his daughter would only have to come if she wanted to, so was quite surprised when she immediately agreed.

When they arrived in Guangzhou after three days, the girl’s mother, Liu Xiaoyan, gave her the option of turning back.

The girl has not stayed sprightly the whole time, and her enthusiasm was at its lowest between Guangzhou and Qingyuan. But the sheer variety and novelty of everything she’s seen has kept the city girl persisting, said her mother, who if anything has been less hardy than Zeng.

Having a well-earned rest

Some of the terrain they crossed has been dangerous and they have even walked along highways at times of poor visibility. But they crossed over into Hunan on July 25, and on July 29, Zeng’s father wrote on QQ that people should enjoy every step one-by-one and he was glad to be finally making this journey and seeing his daughter grow up along the way.

Deputy head of 21st Century Education Research Institute, Xiong Bingji, said it was an interesting adventure for the family and a good way of helping toughen up the child. But Xiong also stressed that not all children were cut out for such a journey.

Haohao

Guangdong man reenacts Long March, seeks recuits

Posted: 06/25/2012 1:00 pm

Earlier this month, we told you about a guy who tried to walk an impossible distance just to get home. But he has truly been upstaged by a Guangdong native much older than himself who is determined to reenact the Long March.

With his Red Army uniform and red flag, Guangdong native Luo Dexiang has been attempting to recruit comrades to join him in a reenactment of the Long March since 2008, according to Chinese language media. Currently in Hankou, Wuhan Province, Luo has thus far failed to find people to stay with him on his journey. Some have described him as quixotic and deluded, others have expressed support for Luo as he walks toward Yanan.

On Sunday afternoon, Luo stood on a street in Hankou with a speaker playing red songs trying to recruit people to his cause and promote the culture of the Red Army, which is now known as the People’s Liberation Army. Originally from Qingyuan, he quit his job as a car salesman in November 2008 to reenact the Long March, hoping to try out a different lifestyle. Initially, he found it easy to recruit comrades, but none were as persistent as Luo.

At the weekend, he took a train from Sichuan to Hankou and stood on the street with a handwritten sign urging people to join him in another reenactment of the Long March. When it is unviable or unsafe to walk, Luo uses public transport, but the rest of Luo’s journey has consisted of walking from town to town.

He ususally arrives in a new town in the evening, when he finds a cheap hotel in which to stay. The following day he will stand on the street, recruiting people and promoting the history of the red army. So far he has walked through six provinces, these are Jiangxi, Fujian, Hunan, Guangdong, Guangxi and Sichuan. In order to have a livelihood, Luo does menial jobs along the way.

Haohao

Guy runs out of cash, attempts to walk from Jiangxi to Shenzhen

Posted: 06/6/2012 11:20 am

The founders of modern China are known to have taken part in The Long March of 1934-35, in which they had to walk the width of this continent-sized country, facing death at every step. The marchers now have a descendant with a somewhat more modest goal, to get to his home in Shenzhen.

A man found walking along an expressway explained that he was attempting to walk from Jiangxi Province to Shenzhen, according to local television stations. A police officer who patrols the expressway saw him on the hard shoulder and discovered that he had been walking for four days and four nights. The man was carrying no possessions other than his ID Card and several train tickets.

Originally from Sichuan, the 18 year-old intended to travel by train from Fuzhou, Fujian Province to Shenzhen. Only when he was on the train did he realize that he had bought the wrong ticket and ended up in Ji’an, Jiangxi Province. Having no money left, he decided that his only option was to walk to his destination.

He had reached the city of Ganzhou without money to make a phone call and barely having anything to eat or drink. When asked why he did not call a friend or ask a stranger for help, he explained that he had left his mobile phone at home, and believed that asking strangers for help was shameful, so decided to walk the remaining more than 500 kilometres.

The police officer who found him took him back to the police station for a meal before buying a train ticket that would enable him to get to Shenzhen without his legs getting so tired.

Haohao
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