Xiamen’s version of “Zootopia” is online! Amid mountains, forests, lakes, and seas, a romantic coexistence between humans and nature is hidden

The movie "Zootopia 2" is a hit, depicting different species living, commuting, and cooperating in one city, creating a fascinating urban ecosystem. Such scenes are not just on the screen in Xiamen—between the city’s mountains, forests, lakes, wetlands, and green spaces, the daily close companionship of humans and nature is truly unfolding every day. Paired with convenient accommodation at Jinjiang Inn Plus Xiamen Airport Jimei Academic Village, come to Xiamen to unlock this encounter journey with nature’s creatures~ 🏨 Accommodation Recommendation: Jinjiang Inn Plus Xiamen Airport Jimei Academic Village, with convenient transportation, is a friendly drive from attractions like Xiamen Botanical Garden and Yundang Lake. The hotel is clean, comfortable, and well-equipped. After exploring the nature spots full of wild charm, you can relax here and rest assured. The next day, you can start from the hotel to visit Jimei Academic Village, Garden Expo Park, and other attractions, seamlessly connecting ecological roaming with cultural check-ins, making it an excellent resting place for your Xiamen trip. 🌳 Xiamen Botanical Garden: The “urban living stage” for forest animals Early in the morning at Xiamen Botanical Garden, the first “workers” to arrive are often not people but a group of lively small mountain animals. Squirrels leap and dart among the treetops, making cheerful sounds; grass lizards bask lazily on rocks, enjoying the winter sun; red-eared bulbuls hop onto branches, their crisp calls breaking the forest’s silence; dark green white-eyes fly in flocks over the canopy, leaving a trail of fluttering wings; spotted doves perch quietly, as if calmly watching the daily life of this forest... Relying on the diverse habitats formed by the mountainous terrain, Xiamen Botanical Garden provides a stable living environment for various small animals. With continuous ecological improvements and the ongoing perfection of forest community structures, the mountain animals here have formed a relatively stable miniature “community living circle.” The tranquility and clarity of Wanshi Mountain in winter, along with the frequent appearances of small animals, make the botanical garden the forest main stage of Xiamen’s “animal city.” 🦢 Yundang Lake: The “urban center” for water birds If the botanical garden is a paradise for forest animals, Yundang Lake showcases the vitality of aquatic ecology. On a winter morning, as the mist just lifts, egrets slowly forage in the shallows; night herons perch on lakeside treetops, patiently waiting to hunt; cormorants dive skillfully underwater, creating ripples; nearby, spotted doves stroll leisurely on the grass, and glossy starlings perch on branches, their crisp calls rising and falling... Various birds busy themselves, together painting a vivid ecological picture. In recent years, with the ongoing comprehensive management and ecological restoration of Yundang Lake, the water environment has gradually improved, and the quantity and diversity of fish have increased, providing richer food sources for birds. The continuous planting of trees, shrubs, and wetland vegetation around the lake also offers safer and more suitable habitats for different bird species. The concept of civilized birdwatching has deeply taken root, and the harmonious coexistence of citizens and birds has become the most ordinary and touching scenery at Yundang Lake. 🌿 Garden Expo Park: The ideal “wintering paradise” for migratory birds Every winter, large numbers of migratory birds travel south from the north. Thanks to its excellent wetland conditions and abundant food sources, Xiamen Garden Expo Park has become an indispensable important habitat for them. At dawn, flocks of cormorants circle in the sky, sometimes diving swiftly underwater, sometimes emerging to shake their wings, their black figures rising and falling with the water’s light. Near the shallows, egrets fly quietly while foraging, and several black-headed gulls skim the water, drawing light arcs. Various water birds intertwine, sketching a peaceful yet vibrant ecological scene at the Garden Expo Park. Over the years, through continuous protection and development, the Garden Expo Park has gradually formed diverse environments such as herbaceous plants, tree and shrub clusters, and water corridors, providing migratory birds with ample food resources and a sense of security. During migration seasons, different bird species stop here to rest, feed, and relax, making it an important stopover on their migratory route. 🌱 Parks and Green Spaces: The “community animal city” for small animals In various parks and green spaces across Xiamen, scenes of animals sharing space with citizens are everywhere. Squirrels running back and forth among trees are the most popular “little residents” in green spaces; grass lizards dart quickly along cracks in park paths or pause to bask in the sun; gray magpies call crisply from treetops, adding wild charm to the parks. With the continuous construction of parks and green spaces and the ongoing improvement of urban greenery, small animals have more suitable living and resting spaces in the city. Parks and green spaces are not only places for citizens to relax but have also become relatively stable and friendly homes for various urban wild animals. In recent years, the Municipal Landscaping Bureau has continuously strengthened ecological protection and sewage treatment, systematically promoting water body restoration and park green space construction. Through improving ecological corridors, optimizing green space structures, and enhancing water ecological functions, the quality of the urban living environment has been steadily improved. Mountains are greener, lakes clearer, the land more verdant, and birds more willing to settle, gradually building a well-functioning and richly layered urban ecological network. It is under this long-term dedicated protection that migratory birds arrive as expected, small animals live freely, and humans and nature share the same warm city.