You can fly into Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport (SZX), or alternatively, you can fly into Hong Kong International Airport (HKG) and take a bus or taxi into Shenzhen, just be aware that you have to go through customs on the way.
You can also take a train into any one of Shenzhen’s four railway stations. They are:
– Shenzhen Railway Station
– North Railway Station
– Futian Railway Station
– East Railway Station
The Shenzhen Metro is quite fast, although the lines are not quite efficiently laid out, and it gets unbearably crowded during rush hour, and closes at midnight. For most purposes, it should be fine.
Otherwise, I recommend downloading the taxi hailing service app, DiDi, or hailing a cab. DiDi works exactly like Uber.
History: Before promoted to city-status in 1979, Shenzhen was a fishing village with a population around 30,000, meaning that Shenzhen is an extremely modern city. After being promoted to city-status, the central government made Shenzhen a Special Economic Zone, so immigrants came from all over the country. As a result, Shenzhen is a melting pot of different Chinese cultures.
Language: Unlike the rest of its surrounding cities, Shenzhen speaks Mandarin Chinese.
Currency: Chinese Renminbi (RMB), which is roughly 0.14 USD per yuan.
Climate: Shenzhen’s air quality is one of the best of China’s big cities! It has a humid subtropical climate. The rainy season lasts from April to September.
Internet: China’s firewall currently blocks just about every Western social media site, including Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Snapchat, and all Google services. Be sure to come prepared!
For tips on how to get around the firewall, read: How to Access Blocked Sites in China
Splendid China Folk Village
Window of the World – This theme park really lives up to its name, as it contains 130 reproductions of some of the most famous tourist attractions in the world squeezed into 48 hectares.
Splendid China Folk Village – This theme park is laid out like a miniature China. It is the world’s largest and most comprehensive miniature park, reproducing nearly 100 famous tourist attractions in China and 25 full-scale ethnic villages. The park’s theme reflects the history, culture, art, ancient architecture, customs and habits of various nationalities.
Happy Valley – Happy Valley is a more classic amusement park, with nine themed areas: Spanish Square, Cartoon City, Mt. Adventure, Gold Mine Town, Shangri-la Woods, Sunshine Beach, Typhoon Bay, Playa Maya Water Park and Happy Times. There is also a monorail that circles the park with a stop at the entrance.
OCT East – Overseas Chinese Town East is an ecological resort with three themed parks, Knight Valley, Tea Stream Valley, and Wind Valley. Here you can find natural landscapes, western and eastern style towns, cool performances, rides, a waterpark, and buddhist statues.
SLF International Spa Club (Water Cube) – This spa not only has reasonably-price massages with private massage rooms, but also offers complimentary gym facilities,Wi-Fi, fruit, ice cream, and drinks!
Queen’s Spa – This is the mother of all spas. Open 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, and measuring a massive 480,000 square feet, Queen’s Spa is an absolute unit. There are 7 floors of entertainment, and the amenities range from restaurants, to pools, to massage chairs and more. You could easily spend an entire day in here.
D-Club Spa – Shaped somewhat like a Disney castle, this luxurious spa also offers free fresh fruit galore, drinks, delicious food, and a myriad of spa and massage treatments! In the main relaxation area, each person gets their own small TV screen and bathrobe, all you need to bring is a bathing suit.
OCT LOFT Creative Park
OCT Harbour – OCT Harbour is unique in that it is based around a manmade canal system. Reminding me very much of Venice, the canal system, open design of the area, and architecture style is reminiscent of a much older place.
Coastal City – Coastal City is actually a number of different malls all pieced together. One is a completely outdoor mall based on several staggering floors. It is absolutely stunning in design, and offers a large variety of clothing stores, restaurants, and amusement for kids.
YiFang Center – Located in the Bao’an District, this shopping center has got a lovely modern design with white and clean being the main aesthetic. There is an outdoor section full of restaurants, and it has a great atmosphere for dinner dates.
CoCo Park – This shopping mall in the Futian district is also known for its nightlife. There are numerous bars and clubs located on the bottom floor, and even a speakeasy!
OCT-Loft – Originally an old industrial area with abandoned factory buildings, the OCT-LOFT complex is now the trendiest part of Shenzhen. It houses contemporary art galleries, bohemian coffee shops, fashion boutiques, tasty restaurants and so much more.
Other more run of the mill shopping centers include:
– Yitian Holiday Plaza
– Haiya Mega Mall
– Shenzhen Raffles City
– KK Mall and the MixC
Because Shenzhen is such a new city, it doesn’t really have its own cuisine. However, because it is a city made up of immigrants, there is great food from all regions of China to be found. Here are just a few suggestions of dishes you have to try.
Dim Sum – Due to Shenzhen’s proximity to Hong Kong, Dim Sum is abundant in Shenzhen. In case you don’t know, dim sum is like Chinese tapas, its a bunch of small dishes that everyone orders to share. Order the Har Gau (shrimp dumplings), Siu Mai, Cheong Fan, and Pai Gwut.
Coconut Chicken Hot Pot – Hot pot is a popular Chinese dish where raw meat and vegetables are served with a boiling pot of soup, and everyone cooks their food in the soup before eating. Coconut Chicken Hot Pot is this concept but the soup is made with coconut water instead of regular water. It’s a surprisingly delicious combination.
Cheese Tea – Wait what? You may be thinking, but don’t knock it until you try it. Many shopping centers in Shenzhen will have a branch of HEYTEA, which serves their unique cheese tea, which is actually really good.
Lianhua Mountain – Named for its resemblance to the lotus flower, Lianhua Mountain used to be an important landmark for sailors. Today, you can enjoy BBQ, camping, horse riding and fishing here. It’s famous for its annual lotus festival when over 100,000 lotuses are in full bloom.
Shekou – Take a walk or rent a bike and take a ride around Shekou for gorgeous views of the ocean and of Hong Kong across the water!
Nanshan Mountain – The hike up this mountain is of medium difficulty if you’re looking for a good work out, but the views from the top of Shekou and the bay are absolutely beautiful.
Meilin Reservoir – Right next to Shenzhen, this Reservoir offers some nice walking trails around its perimeter and gorgeous views of the Shenzhen skyline.
Wutong Mountain – Wutong mountain is the tallest mountain in Shenzhen and the source of the Shenzhen river. There are 12 different trails for hiking up the mountain with a large range of difficulty, so pretty much anyone of any fitness can accomplish this climb.
Xiaomeisha Beach – The largest beach in Shenzhen comes with tons to do. Besides just swimming and sunbathing, you can also jet-ski, take a boat ride, take a diving tour, barbeque, or try Thai parasailing. On weekends at night, the Xiaomeisha Happy Night Show offers pop music and magic and acrobatic shows.
Hong Kong – Hong Kong is right next to Shenzhen, and is a fantastic place to explore. The Chinese culture combined with British influence means that you can get around with English just fine. The food is delicious (you have to eat the dim sum) and the size of the city means there’s something to do for anyone. Note that Hong Kong has its own currency, although they will sometimes accept RMB.
Guangzhou – Also known as Canton, Guangzhou is a large port city in Guangdong Province. With over 2200 years of history (the city used to be the terminus of the Silk Road) . However, unlike Shenzhen, the main language of Guangzhou is Cantonese.
Macau – Macau is just across the water from Shenzhen, and it is one of the most unique places I have ever been to. Macau was colonized by the Portuguese 1887 and was only returned to China in 1999. The combination of Chinese and Portuguese influences cannot be seen anywhere else. Today Macau is a huge gambling center, bigger than even Las Vegas. The main languages are Cantonese and Portuguese, however many also speak Mandarin and English. Macau also has its own currency.
Zhuhai – Just north of Macau, Zhuhai is often referred to as the Chinese Riviera. Also a Special Economic Zone, Zhuhai has been awarded most livable city. It is known for its golf resorts, islands, and theme parks. The long gorgeous coastline, palm trees, and low population density make it quite a romantic destination.
Hong Kong (and Macau), as Special Administrative Regions of China, require you to go through customs if you are arriving from China. If you plan on taking a day trip to Shenzhen from Hong Kong or vice versa, be sure to make sure you have the right visa requirements! And after you have the right visas, be aware that it will take more time to travel from one city to another because of customs.
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