The Jinhaiwan mangrove forest on the western edge of the city is one of the more accessible mangrove ecosystems on China's southern coast. Elevated boardwalks wind through the forest for several kilometres, passing through the canopy of the mangrove trees and giving views down to the tidal mudflats where crabs, mudskippers, and wading birds work the exposed substrate at low tide.
The reserve covers about 200 hectares and can be walked comfortably in two hours. Birdwatching is good, particularly during the autumn and spring migrations when the mudflats attract shorebirds in numbers. The combination of boardwalk forest experience and the adjacent tidal flat ecosystem makes it a worthwhile stop for anyone interested in coastal ecology, and it is quiet enough on weekday mornings to function as genuine nature rather than managed attraction.