Shenzhen
深圳 · Shēnzhèn
China's tech city, with land crossings to Hong Kong.
1–2Days
Oct–DecBest time
84Foreigner-friendliness
Photo: Charlie fong · CC BY-SA 4.0
Second stop or second trip
Best time to visit
- Jan
- Feb
- Mar
- Apr
- May
- Jun
- Jul
- Aug
- Sep
- Oct
- Nov
- Dec
From the airport or station to the city
Where you land, the ways into the city centre, how long each takes and what it costs.
From Shenzhen Bao’an Airport (SZX)
深圳宝安国际机场
From Shenzhen North Railway Station
深圳北站
From From Hong Kong: Futian / Lok Ma Chau crossing
福田口岸
From From Hong Kong: Luohu / Lo Wu crossing
罗湖口岸
Getting around
The metro covers the whole city, has English signs and costs about ¥2–10; pay with Alipay or WeChat transit codes. Bag checks at every station. DiDi and taxis are easy to find. The high-speed train from Hong Kong West Kowloon reaches Futian station in under 20 minutes. Shenzhen is spread out: group sights by district (Futian centre, Nanshan/OCT in the west, Luohu in the east).
Top sights
平安金融中心云际观光层Ping An Finance Centre Free Sky observation deckThe 116th-floor deck of Shenzhen’s tallest tower, 541 m up, with 360° views over the city and on clear days to Hong Kong.
世界之窗Window of the WorldA theme park of scaled-down world landmarks, from a 108 m Eiffel Tower to the pyramids, with evening shows and fireworks.
锦绣中华民俗村Splendid China Folk VillageMiniatures of China’s landmarks, from the Great Wall to the Potala Palace, plus a village of ethnic minority houses, dances and an evening show.
华强北Huaqiangbei electronics districtThe world’s biggest electronics market: towers of stalls selling chips, phones, drones and gadgets along a pedestrian street.
莲花山公园Lianhuashan ParkA hill park in Futian with a bronze statue of Deng Xiaoping on top and a classic view down the city’s central axis.
深圳湾公园Shenzhen Bay ParkA 13 km seafront promenade of gardens and mangroves facing Hong Kong, good for walking, cycling and birdwatching in winter.
华侨城创意文化园OCT LoftOld factory buildings turned into galleries, design shops, cafés and live music venues under big banyan trees.
大芬油画村Dafen Oil Painting VillageLanes of studios where painters copy famous works and paint their own, often while you watch.
南头古城Nantou Ancient CityShenzhen’s old walled town, founded in 331 AD, with a restored south gate, lanes of cafés and a small history museum.
海上世界Sea World, ShekouA waterfront square around the Minghua, a 1960s French-built cruise ship now beached as a landmark, with restaurants, bars and a musical fountain.
深圳博物馆历史民俗馆Shenzhen Museum (History and Folk Culture, Civic Centre)The city museum in the east wing of the Civic Centre: how a fishing and farming area became a megacity, with good rooms on ancient Shenzhen, Hakka and Cantonese folk life and the reform era.
大鹏所城Dapeng FortressA walled Ming-dynasty coastal garrison town from 1394, with gates, stone lanes, generals’ mansions and a free museum, on the Dapeng Peninsula far east of the city.
梧桐山Wutong MountainShenzhen’s highest peak, 944 m, a forested hike right from the metro with views over the city, the sea and Hong Kong from the top.
仙湖植物园Fairy Lake Botanical GardenA large hillside garden around a lake at the foot of Wutong Mountain, with a fossil forest, cycads, palms and Hongfa Temple, the city’s biggest Buddhist temple.
大梅沙海滨公园Dameisha BeachShenzhen’s best-known city beach, a long curve of sand between green hills, now a metro ride from the centre.
鹤湖新居（龙岗客家民俗博物馆）Crane Lake Hakka walled house (Longgang Hakka Museum)A huge Qing-dynasty Hakka fortified family compound with nearly 400 rooms, watchtowers and courtyards, now a free museum of Hakka life.
深圳人才公园Shenzhen Talent ParkA waterside park on Shenzhen Bay in the Houhai business district, with a lake loop, bridges and the best view of Nanshan’s lit-up skyscrapers at night.
西涌海滩Xichong BeachShenzhen’s longest beach, about 5 km of sand at the southern tip of the Dapeng Peninsula, backed by Qiniang Mountain and far from the city crowds.
深圳欢乐谷Happy Valley ShenzhenThe first park of China’s Happy Valley chain, opened in 1998 in the OCT area, with several roller coasters, themed zones and a seasonal water park.
福田红树林生态公园Futian Mangrove Ecological ParkA free wetland park beside the Futian mangrove nature reserve on Shenzhen Bay, with boardwalks, bird hides and views across to Hong Kong.
东门老街（东门步行街）Dongmen Old StreetShenzhen’s oldest market area, about 300 years old, now a busy pedestrian shopping district of clothes, snacks and street food.Map
What to eat here
潮汕牛肉火锅Chaoshan beef hotpotClear broth and just-cut fresh beef, each cut dipped for a few seconds; a Shenzhen favourite brought by Chaoshan migrants. Not spicy.
肠粉Rice noodle rolls (cheung fun)Steamed rice sheets with egg, shrimp or beef and soy sauce; the standard Shenzhen breakfast.沙井蚝Shajing oystersBig local oysters, grilled with garlic or dried into golden oysters; Shajing in Bao’an has farmed them for centuries.
光明乳鸽Guangming roast squabCrisp-skinned roast young pigeon from the Guangming farm area, eaten with your hands.
客家酿豆腐Hakka stuffed tofuTofu squares stuffed with minced pork and simmered in a light sauce; home cooking of the Hakka villages in eastern Shenzhen.
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