Tourists will be able to explore more of the city's mangrove forest in 2010, when a 300-million-yuan (US$37.5 million) restoration project is completed.

The restoration work, which starts in June, will cover the coastal area between the Mangrove Ecological Park and Xinzhou River mouth.

Fengtang River which runs through the forest will be cleaned up and more mangrove trees will be planted in the area, the Daily Sunshine reported.

A wooden pathway will be built allowing tourists to walk deep into the forest, leading to a newly built "nest-shaped" museum which will screen science films and house mangrove exhibitions, the report said.

But in order to avoid polluting the area, only about 160 tourists will be allowed to enter the forest daily.

Shenzhen's mangrove forest is one of the two State-level mangrove nature reserves in China. Every year, some 400,000 migratory birds winter in the area, according to official statistics.

The restoration project is expected to bring the forest, which has been suffering from pollution and the fast growth of the city in recent years, back to its former wellbeing.

Shenzhen now has a total of 169.7 hectares of mangrove forests. The city government plans to increase the total area of mangroves to 504.7 hectares by 2015.

Mangrove forests are one of the most productive and biodiverse wetlands on earth. The unique coastal tropical forests are among the most threatened habitats in the world.

Editor: Donald