Wetlands of Hong Kong
Hong Kong has few natural wetlands because many were turned into shallow shrimp ponds and oyster farms. Today, most remaining wetlands are unused farmlands, like the Long Valley wetland, and they are mainly found near Deep Bay by the Pearl River estuary.
The Mai Po Marshes are the biggest and best known. In the 1940s, this area was a mangrove swamp covering about 200 hectares. It was later turned into fish ponds, and some land was reclaimed to build Tin Shui Wai new town.
About 3,420 hectares (8,500 acres) of wetland are ecologically important because they support rare and fragile species. These wetlands host a diverse mix of life, including seagrass, mangroves, amphibians, birds, butterflies, dragonflies, fish, macroinvertebrates, mammals, and reptiles.
The wetlands are under pressure from limited land and development, especially near Deep Bay and the Mai Po Ramsar site. The government follows a “no net loss of wetlands” principle for development approvals. For example, part of the Lok Ma Chau Spur Line was built as an underground tunnel to cross the Long Valley wetland. Usually, the policy requires creating artificial wetlands to replace the ones lost. Critics say these new wetlands are often smaller or of lower quality, so the policy doesn’t fully make up for the loss.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 08:29 (CET).