Photo 1: The Safeguarding the Lantau Intertidal Mudflat Biodiversity Exhibition, funded by the Lantau Conservation Fund and organised by the Ocean Park Conservation Foundation, Hong Kong, will take place at Festival Walk (Level G, near the bus terminus entrance) in Kowloon Tong from 18 to 21 June.
(Hong Kong, 17 June 2026) Imagine getting up close to a mysterious creature that has thrived on Earth for 470 million years—outliving even the dinosaurs—right in the middle of town! To celebrate International Horseshoe Crab Day on 20 June, Ocean Park Conservation Foundation, Hong Kong (OPCFHK), funded by the Lantau Conservation Fund (LCF), is bringing the wonders of our coastal ecosystem to the heart of the city.
The Safeguarding the Lantau Intertidal Mudflat Biodiversity Exhibition will take place at Festival Walk in Kowloon Tong from 18 to 21 June 2026, running daily from 11am to 8pm. Free to the public, this pop-up event is designed to offer a hands-on opportunity to discover Hong Kong’s hidden biodiversity.
Instead of just reading about conservation, visitors this weekend can dive into a sensory journey packed with exclusive experiences:
- Meet the “Living Fossils”: A rare opportunity to get up close to live horseshoe crabs;
- Immersive Art and Science: Interactive zones that blend ecological science with stunning visual arts, showcasing the hidden beauty of Lantau’s mudflats;
- Exclusive DIY Creative Workshops: Visitors can design and craft personalised straw bags featuring wildlife habitat prints or leave their mark on a collective stamp-art celebrating Lantau’s culture.
“Hong Kong is proudly home to two of the world’s four remaining horseshoe crab species, namely the mangrove horseshoe crab and the endangered tri-spine horseshoe crab,” said Howard Chuk, Executive Director of Zoological Operations and Conservation of Ocean Park, and Foundation Director of OPCFHK. “However, they face severe threats from human activities, particularly habitat loss and degradation. Through this exhibition, we want to foster a deep, personal connection between the public and these ancient inhabitants, ultimately turning awareness into powerful community action.”
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 Photo 3: Exclusive DIY Creative Workshops. |
Collective efforts to safeguard horseshoe crabs
The dynamic experiences at the exhibition reflect the incredible, real-world strides made by the local community under the flagship initiative titled Safeguarding the Lantau Intertidal Mudflat Biodiversity. Launched in July 2024 with the vital funding support of the LCF, the project has successfully mobilised over 3,500 community members through public seminars, guided tours and school workshops.
Among these advocates, 43 passionate local volunteers have stepped up as dedicated Lantau Mudflat Wardens. These wardens regularly patrol the island’s coast to monitor ecological threats and clear abandoned fishing gear. Alongside OPCFHK’s clean-up operations, the team has successfully removed nearly 1,400kg of marine debris, restoring clean and safe breeding grounds for horseshoe crabs and local marine wildlife.
Ellen Cheng, Deputy Project Manager (South and Sustainable Lantau) of the Civil Engineering and Development Department, said, "We are delighted to witness the success of this project, which clearly demonstrates the vital role of community engagement in promoting a sustainable natural environment. We look forward to working hand-in-hand with more community members and organisations to champion and sustain these conservation achievements in the future."
Empowering the next generation of horseshoe crab guardians
The exhibition also shines a spotlight on the Horseshoe Crab Rearing Programme, a powerful partnership between OPCFHK and City University of Hong Kong that has inspired secondary school students since 2009.
Over just two years, more than 650 students from 40 schools have stepped forward to take on the hands-on responsibility of nurturing juvenile horseshoe crabs. These young ambassadors organised 118 educational activities, raising conservation awareness among over 37,000 members of the public. Since the programme’s inception, more than 2,000 horseshoe crabs have been successfully reared and released back into their natural habitats.
Photo 4: Students from the Horseshoe Crab Rearing Programme step up as conservation ambassadors to spread vital horseshoe crab protection messages to the public.
“By bridging scientific research with public engagement, we aim to safeguard these vital ecosystems and inspire a collective stewardship of Hong Kong’s natural heritage,” said Professor Cheung Siu-gin, Associate Professor of the Department of Chemistry, City University of Hong Kong. “Their survival relies on the collective choices we make today.”
Wildlife protection: every effort counts
The survival of the local horseshoe crab populations and other precious marine life depends on the choices we make every day. OPCFHK invites the public to become an essential guardian of local biodiversity by adopting four simple habits:
- Protecting their homes: Stop litter from entering our seas and beaches to keep vital habitats clean.
- Removing coastal litter: Clear litter and plastics during mudflat visits to reduce toxic pollution in breeding grounds.
- Respecting natural wildlife: Do not capture, disturb, or purchase wild horseshoe crabs.
- Being a voice for nature: Share conservation knowledge with friends and family to build a community-wide culture of environmental stewardship.
Come visit Festival Walk this weekend to discover how you can play a part in saving Hong Kong’s living fossils!
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