Shenzhen Xichong has become China's first international dark-sky community, according to a statement released by International Dark-sky Association on April 6.

Located in the southeast of Shenzhen, Xichong boasts the city's most complete natural ecosystem, with a beautiful environment and a forest coverage rate of up to 90%. The community is approximately 60 kilometers away from the city center and is surrounded by mountains on three sides and faces the sea on the other, making it an ideal location for stargazing.

To meet the needs of astronomy enthusiasts and citizens for stargazing, and to protect the excellent night ecological environment of the Xichong community, the "1-hour Milky Way Circle of the Greater Bay Area" (i.e. places that can be reached within 1 hour by transportation to view and shoot the Milky Way) is being developed. In August 2021, the Meteorological Bureau of Shenzhen Municipality, the Urban Administration and Law Enforcement Bureau of Shenzhen Municipality, and the Dapeng New District Management Committee jointly launched the Dark-sky Community Project in Xichong.

The renovated Xichong community in Shenzhen has significantly improved its dark-sky and ecological environment. On clear days, the sky background and the limit magnitude have been improved, and the firefly population has also increased significantly. Xichong has become a well-known astronomical stargazing spot in the GBA.

At the same time, the tourism resources of the community have expanded from the original beaches to comprehensive natural ecological resources, such as mountains, astronomy, and dark-sky fireflies. The best time for visiting the community has changed from seasonal peak seasons to year-round peak seasons. This has directly promoted local homestays, catering, transportation, employment, and other related industries. The number of citizens participating in astronomical observation, science popularization, astronomical study, and astronomical stargazing camping activities in Xichong has significantly increased each year.

With the certification of the International Dark-sky Association, Shenzhen will promote the construction of Dapeng Starry Sky Park, continue to improve the lighting of Xichong and Dongchong, and promote the treatment of light pollution sources at sea. It will also roll out relevant supporting measures, improve the soft and hard infrastructure of the city observatory and dark-sky community, promote related theme night tours, and establish a Shenzhen model for the international dark-sky community.

The international dark-sky community is a title awarded to communities that have made outstanding contributions to the protection of the night sky. The regions where humans live and work are upgraded through scientific transformation and upgrading of the lighting in the area, as far as possible to reduce unnecessary lighting, protect our night from the impact of light pollution, and leave a clear sky for future generations. (The following image is a relevant report on the International Dark-sky  Association for reference.)

深圳西涌成为中国首个国际暗夜社区

暗夜国际4月6日公布消息：深圳西涌成为中国首个国际暗夜社区。

西涌社区位于深圳市东南端，拥有深圳最完整的自然生态系统，环境优美，森林覆盖率高达90%，动植物资源丰富。社区距离城市中心直线距离约60公里，周围三面环山一面向海，拥有很好的夜间生态环境以及美丽的星空。

为满足天文爱好者、市民的观星需求和专业天文观测需求，保护西涌社区优良的夜生态环境，打造“大湾区1小时星空银河圈”（即1小时交通以内即可到达观看拍摄银河星空的地方）。2021年8月，深圳市气象局、深圳市城市管理和综合执法局、大鹏新区管理委员会联合在西涌启动暗夜社区创建工作。

改造后的西涌社区暗夜环境和生态环境得到明显提升，晴天环境下的天光背景和极限星等得到了改善，萤火虫种群数量也显著增多，西涌成为粤港澳大湾区有名的天文观星胜地。

同时，西涌旅游资源由原有的海滩扩展到山海、天文、暗夜萤火虫等全方位自然生态资源，旅游服务由原来的季节性旺季变成全年旺季，为当地的民宿、餐饮、交通、就业等产生直接性的推动促进，每年到访西涌参与天文观测、天文科普、天文研学以及天文星空露营等活动的市民显著增多。

以国际暗夜社区得到认证为契机，深圳将推进大鹏星空公园建设，持续整改优化西涌、东涌的照明，推动海上光污染源的治理，完善相关配套措施，加强市天文台和暗夜社区的软硬设施建设，推进相关主题夜游活动，建立国际暗夜社区示范的深圳模式。

国际暗夜社区是对夜空保护有杰出贡献社区授予的称号。人类生活、生产的区域，在保证安全、生活和生产的前提下，通过对区域的照明进行科学改造升级，尽可能减少不必要的过剩照明，保护我们的夜晚不受光污染的影响，为子孙后代留下一片纯净的星空。

文/羊城晚报全媒体记者 李晓旭 郭起
翻译/刘佳慧

责编 | 戚美青
校对 | 赵丹丹