SHENZHEN; Shenzhen has become the first city in China to enshrine "lights out for birds" in local legislation, introducing measures to control nighttime lighting around migratory bird habitats.
The city is a key stopover along the East Asian-Australasian Flyway, hosting nearly 100,000 migratory birds each year. The new provision took effect on Thursday.
Article 15 of the city's regulations on mangrove wetland protection requires authorities to optimise the layout and control nighttime lighting in and around migratory bird habitats.
The move is the latest step in Shenzhen's decades-long efforts to build a bird-friendly city.
According to a report by online portal sznews, in 1994, Binhai Avenue was shifted more than 200 metres north to avoid the mangrove area, while buildings within 500 metres of the reserve were restricted to a maximum height of 50 metres.
Since 2023, areas around the mangroves have been designated as a top-tier light-control zone, where lighting is directed only at roads and kept away from the night sky and birds' roosting areas.
In 2025, the city introduced China's first local standards for bird-friendly urban planning and design.
Waterbird numbers in Shenzhen Bay rose 24 per cent year-on-year to more than 47,000 during the 2025-26 migratory season, while the number of bird species recorded in the restored mangroves increased from 92 to 167.
Sun Lili, co-founder and executive director of the Mangrove Conservation Foundation, said that while brighter lighting might be better from a human perspective, the same did not apply to birds.
"This is not just a livelihood issue—it speaks to the ecological foundation of urban governance," Sun added.
The initiative has also attracted broad participation from the private sector.
In 2023, Chinese technology giant Tencent placed 320 square metres of white dot stickers on the glass facade of its Shenzhen headquarters to help birds avoid collisions. - China Daily/ANN
