Let’s not mince words: as a Pearl River Delta resident, you can appreciate the very best thing about the PRD: lychee fruit—the proverbial cherry on top of the sundae with Chinese characteristics. However, the lifestyle you take for granted is what makes tourists to Shenzhen lose all semblance of civility.

Apparently, some people can’t go to the park except as a means to exploit its natural resources. On June 10, tourists to Shenzhen’s Lychee Park lost their shiznit over the fact that lychee are being grown on a tree and are free—FREE!—for the taking.

As People’s Daily reports, tourists employ a variety of creative (read: violent) methods to harvest the lychee fruit: throwing plastic bottles, throwing slippers, and shaking the tree. And then there’s climbing the lychee tree itself, thus rendering hobbies that require buying stuff like frisbees and kites redundant from their lack of harvested fruit.

At this rate, thongs are never coming to China.

Photos: People’s Daily

Yesterday, the Guangzhou Municipal and District Government announced plans to jointly finance the construction of 30 new small-scale football pitches in 12 local districts. The new football pitches are designed to facilitate matches involving 3-man, 5-man, and 7-man teams.

The initiative will utilize unused lots, rooftops, areas beside community centers, and green areas in local parks. It is set to begin next year in six communities as pilot projects.

The municipal government wants these parks to be open to all residents by standardizing public availability for at least 12 hours every day. Of these times, 10 hours will be either free or offered at a premium, which will eventually be increased to 14 hours a day.

Guangzhou hopes to build 100 new fields by 2016.

In related news, large-scale football pitches are coming to Guangzhou as well when the construction of the “Dreams Become True Sports Training Camp” begins. It was officially announced on May 20 (picture above).

The new football pitches will be first used for the upcoming Pearl River Cup tournament.

Photos: dzwww

The Futian District Urban Management Bureau wants to hear your suggestions. A plan to turn vacant lots into usable community park spaces is now open to proposals from Shenzhen residents to suggest which places will make suitable local greenery.

Suggested park spaces must meet certain conditions: they must be in close proximity to residential and commercial areas, and they must be of a size more than 1,000 square meters in space.

This proposal comes as Guangdong looks to increase its park space around the entire province. Guangdong provincial forestry officials stated that an additional 1037 forest parks and 168 wetlands will be made by 2017. Yes, you read that correctly: 1037 parks: 518 parks to be built by 2015, and another 519 to be finished by 2017.

To focus on the city of Guangzhou as an example, local residents will expect 20 new parks to be built by 2015 and another 19 built by 2017 to complement the 15 forestry parks already “under construction“.

Officials are said to be sizing up potential park sites in Panyu, Baiyun, Huadu, Conghua, Luogang, Nansha and Zengcheng, but don’t let that deter you, Shenzhen residents! Call or e-mail your local Futian District Urban Management Bureau to let them know where you want them to “park” it!

Futian District Urban Management Bureau
(0755) 8297 8013

Photo: Juneau Park Friends

46 year-old Ye Yade had a temperature after being bitten by a Tsutsugamushi mite when sitting on the grass in a park on June 13, according to his son Ye Fu. He was taken to hospital and later transferred to several others.

On June 19, doctors discovered the insect bite on his scrotum and on June 21 he was diagnosed with scrub typhus.

But Ye’s life could not be saved. Doctors warn against sitting on the grass in summer. There is also the small matter of snakes at this time of year.

Scrub typhus, also known as Japanese river fever or flood fever, is an acute febrile typhus disease. There are cases every year, particularly in summer as the muggy weather is conducive to insects breeding. According to the report, the four people who died have something in common: they had all been to Xiaogang Park（晓港公园）and apparently ignored the warning signs. The first symptom of having been bitten by the bug is a fever, which patients usually mistake for a cold and delay seeking medical help. In addition, people don’t always pay attention to bites on the waist, armpit, abdomen or thigh.

However, doctors say that patients should not be too worried as the illness is curable if identified. The signs can be very subtle so if you have any symptoms such as high fever, dry and flaking skin or scabs, you may need to see a doctor immediately. Doctors warn that following precautions should be taken when in parks or other grassy areas:

• apply insect-repellent to your skin;
• Wear long sleeves;
• Do not sit or lie on the grass;
• Do not touch the crops;

As always, maintain a high level of personal hygiene.  But maybe the best advice?  Avoid going to Xiaogang Park, at least for now.