Bibliometric Mapping Shows a Split in Health and Design: Leisure Blue Space Research in English and Chinese Sources

• First quantification of health-design divide: Scopus/CNKI output ratio = 2:1 (2014-2024). • Mental health cluster (Scopus) vs. Landscape design cluster (CNKI) reveals paradigmatic split. • Vulnerable groups under-researched in China: 8.9% vs. 22.4% international coverage. • Post-2021 burst terms ("blue-medical integration") signal policy-driven shift in China. Leisure blue-space (LBS) research has increased in the global healthy city goal. Still, there is little quantitative data on language-related knowledge gaps. This study provides the first parallel bibliometric analysis of 3,272 publications from 2014 to 2024. These include 1,328 from China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) and 1,944 from Scopus. The analysis focuses on output volume, keyword co-occurrence, burst patterns, and grouping. Chinese studies focus on built-environment and physical design characteristics. They highlight the gap between health and design. Conversely, English-language research output is approximately 1.5 times greater. It has moved to evidence-based topics like "blue gym" and "mental health recovery." These findings provide a useful reference for international teams. They can help include non-English evidence and guide Chinese scholars toward community health. This approach promotes global diversity in LBS research.