Nanhaizi park, Country park in Jiugong area, Beijing, China.
Nanhaizi Park is a country park near Beijing featuring wetlands and connected lakes where Père David's deer live in spacious protected areas surrounded by double-fence systems. The grounds spread across multiple zones with viewing pathways that allow visitors to observe the animals from various vantage points.
The grounds served as a royal hunting reserve during the Ming and Qing dynasties until floods and regional upheaval around 1895 caused native deer to vanish completely. Around 90 years later, animals from European collections were brought back to China to restore the species on this land.
The park serves as a place where visitors connect with efforts to protect a species that nearly vanished from China, making conservation visible and personal through direct observation. Local communities view this recovery as a source of pride in restoring what was once lost from their natural heritage.
The park has several entrances connected to public transit and includes restrooms and drinking water stations throughout the grounds. Pedal boats are available for rent on the lakes, offering a pleasant way to experience the property from the water.
The deer here are descendants of animals that came from European zoos like Woburn Abbey, making their return to China a remarkable story of international cooperation in species rescue. Visitors encounter a living connection to an nearly forgotten chapter of Chinese natural history.
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