Travel Notes

Today the weather is fine. My friends and I went to Tanzhou Wetland Park. The park is located in the northwest of Hengqin, with a slender triangle inserted into the Modaomen waterway. The waterways on the east and west sides are separated from the mainland, and the Honghe Bridge crosses in the north.

Tanzhou wetland is a typical estuary wetland. Xijiang River from western and northern Guangdong meets the South China Sea here. The river channel in the estuary gradually widens, the water flow slows down, the sediment carried in the water precipitates at the estuary, and the coastline is slowly pushed to the sea with the passage of time. The Hengqin Peninsula was thus formed, and the Tanzhou wetland is an area where sediment deposition has not yet formed land. With the help of geographical and climatic conditions, Tanzhou wetland has become a paradise for animals and plants.

The Tanzhou Wetland has been transformed into a park attraction for tourists to visit. You can see plants and animals in the wetland environment of the park. At the entrance of the wetland, there is a viewing platform overlooking the park. It is full of green plants and silver water, which is connected with the blue river in the distance. The observation deck in the park was trapped in it and became an island in the sea mixed with green and silver.

Entering the park, there is a tourist trail around the wetland. You can enclose the park along the trail, open a path in the center, make a zigzag bridge and cross the center of the wetland. On the surrounding roads, there is still a distance between the plants and the water. Under the water near the outer ring, there are aquatic plants and vines covering the water, which seems to turn the pond into a lawn. Bubbles keep rushing out of the water, and it is extremely difficult to get through thick vines. There was a slight crack when rushing out of the water, which made people think that there would be unknown strange animals lurking underwater. Walking to the center of the lake, there are no aquatic plants in the water. Only a piece of lotus occupies the embellished territory. Although it is in the flower season, only sporadic lotus flowers can be seen. Here, the water plants are distinct, and the wind ripples on the water surface, but it is quickly blocked by plants, and the neat water waves quickly disperse. Most of the sections of Lake Zhonghao and Lake Erhu are covered with plants on both sides, so we can't tell the direction, but we can observe various plants, sea mangoes full of fruits, like ripe nectarines and large reeds, and the wind blows through the reeds. There are mangroves, fragrant olives and plantains crowded together, and more are unrecognizable plants.

This big wetland has also become a paradise for animals, and dense plants hide all insects and reptiles. Only ducks, geese, waterfowl and birds flying over the water can be seen. Lightweight birds also jump in the trees and reeds, touch the branches and leaves, and suddenly rustle.

Modaomen Waterway is divided into two tributaries in the northernmost part of the wetland park, and most of them continue to flow southward into the sea. The water in the small valley divides eastward, separating Hengqin from the mainland, and finally flows into Haojiang River, where it flows to the sea. There is a cement observation deck here, disguised as a dead tree, so it is difficult to distinguish the authenticity at close range. There are steps on the stairs, and the scenery here is excellent. Rivers come from the north, where they go their separate ways and finally flow into Wang Yang. The newly-built bridge spans the waterway and connects the two banks. The grandeur of this bridge dwarfs the observation deck on the third and fourth floors.

Standing at the top of the observation deck overlooking the river, the sea breeze blows north in the scorching sun. Imagine that 900 years ago, tens of thousands of troops of the Yuan Dynasty went north along the Modaomen Waterway and besieged the last resistance force of the Southern Song Dynasty on the cliff. If the sea breeze put out the spark, the last emperor and prime minister of the Southern Song Dynasty sank into the sea with 200,000 soldiers and civilians. In the eyes of the river, there are no more warships to cover the sky. The place where the last fire of a dynasty was buried was finally covered with sand and turned into land.