Hengqin Island (coordinates: 113.5°E, 22.1°N) is located on the south-eastern coast of China, west of the Pearl River Estuary. Just 60 kilometres from Hong Kong and 145 kilometres from Guangzhou, it is separated from Macao by just one river and a bridge, with less than 200 metres from its nearest point to Macao. The island covers a total area of 106.46 square kilometres, nearly three times the current size of Macao.

There are three main ecological systems: forests, oceans, and wetlands on the island, offering a treasure trove of biological resources and biodiversity. The excellent coastal water quality breeds a variety of benthos. In addition, the region is also home to large areas of wetlands, including mangroves, lagoons, mudflats, reed beds, and ponds, as well as evergreen broad-leaved forests, nurturing a complex ecological system whilst offering habitats for more than 200 species of resident and migratory birds. In particular, the small Indian civet and the Eurasian otter, which are both top predators in the local food chain, are the rarest among all indigenous mammals, whose presence reflects the soundness of Hengqin’s ecological system.