The Shenzhen Journey is a celebration of art, commerce and water; which integrates native ecology onto the site, and brings culture into the park. It is a loop which begins and ends at the man who inspired it all, Deng Xiaoping. Yet at this memorial, a place of reflection and congregation, the journey doesn’t end, but begins again.
It is a journey which ties together the commerce he fought for, as well as celebrates the wealth and culture which it allows for its inhabitants. This journey brings the park into the commercial towers and through the theaters, through a series of shaded walkways, performance spaces, and cultural zones. This journey is a cycle, tied together through water which is purified and recycled throughout the loop. Water, pulled in from the lake and expelled by the buildings, is cleansed, aerated, misted and flows through various conditions along the loop. Through these stages, the water is not only purified but enriches each space it flows through. When the water is returned to the lake in a dazzling spectacle of falling water and lights, it is cleaner than when it began its journey. The Shenzhen Journey, which enriches the cultural and commerce of the area, enlivens the park, cleanses the lake and elevates the lives of its inhabitants, embodies the larger Shenzhen vision of economic, cultural and ecological prosperity. And it all begins, ends, and starts all over again by paying homage to Deng Xiaoping