The Long Valley Nature Park officially opened today for public visits, with Secretary for Environment & Ecology Tse Chin-wan and Secretary for Development Bernadette Linn officiating at the opening ceremony.

Covering an area of approximately 37 hectares, the park adopts an open design divided into three management zones - the Biodiversity Zone for core conservation, the Agriculture Zone for eco-friendly farming, and the Visitor Zone equipped with facilities for visitors and educational activities.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Mr Tse stated that the establishment of the park for active conservation of Long Valley by the Government represents a breakthrough.

By proactively restoring abandoned farmlands and some dry farmlands into various wetland habitats, including wet farmlands, a water flea pond, shallow ponds and marshes, as well as constructing irrigation channels to nurture various wildlife and facilitate eco-friendly farming practices, the park not only better conserves Long Valley but also achieves the complementary objectives of ecological conservation and agriculture.

He added that since construction began in 2019, the park has achieved encouraging conservation results. Over the past three years, the numbers of critically endangered Yellow-breasted Bunting, nests of Black-winged Stilt, and endangered Black-faced spoonbill have all increased severalfold.

Ms Linn said in her speech that the park possesses high ecological value and has effectively enhanced the wetland habitats. The necessary supporting infrastructure and visitor facilities have also been built, demonstrating the Government's commitment to feature "Urban-Rural Integration and Co-existence of Development and Conservation" in the development of the Northern Metropolis.

The Opening Fun Day will be held at the park today and tomorrow, featuring in-depth tours, a farmers' market, game booths, art and crafts workshops, and music performances. Admission is free. There are also free shuttle bus services between MTR Fanling Station and the park.