Shenzhen Travel Guide
Shenzhen is a border town and a Special Economic Zone in the coast of Southern China that is located between Hong Kong and mainland China. When the Special Economic Zone was created in 1979, Shenzhen was just a group of small fishing villages. Today, it is a modern business metropolis with a multicultural population that has come there to work from all over China. Tourism in Shenzhen has been developed since the 1990s, and there are now many tourist attractions such as theme parks and shopping arcades.
Shenzhen travel tips and practical information
The climate in Shenzhen is subtropical, with mild winters and autumns, dry and warm springs and hot and rainy summers with occasional typhoons. Traveling to Shenzhen is easy by air, as well as by road and rail from elsewhere in china, including Hong Kong and Macau. There is an international airport with flights to Shenzhen from many cities in China and Asia. The popular airport in Hong Kong is also very close to Shenzhen, and there are direct buses and vans to Shenzhen from there. If you are travelling to Hong Kong from elsewhere in China, it is much cheaper to fly to Shenzhen and to cross the border to Hong Kong from there. There are frequent buses and trains to Shenzhen from both Hong Kong and Guangzhou, as well as ferries to Shenzhen from Hong Kong Macau and Zhuhai, and a helicopter service from Macau.
Public transport in Shenzhen is available by metro, buses and taxis, of which the underground system is probably the most convenient to use. Car rental in Shenzhen is also available, but is not the best way to get around within the city. There are many hotels in Shenzhen, offering a good range of accommodation from cheap to luxurious. Restaurants in Shenzhen are also plentiful, serving many types of cuisine from the famous Cantonese to many Chinese, Asian and Western cuisines. Nightlife in Shenzhen is not as varied as in the neighboring Hong Kong, but there are still bars and nightclubs available. Crime in Shenzhen is much more common than in Hong Kong, with pickpocketing being common in public transport.
Photo: carbon49, used under Creative Commons License (By ND 2.0)
However, crime levels in Shenzhen are not any higher than in most big cities in Europe or North America, and avoiding walking around alone at night and leaving your valuables at the hotel safe will most likely spare you from any losses.
Sights and activities in Shenzhen: shopping, theme parks, golf, beaches and restaurants
If you are looking for historical attractions, Shenzhen is not your cup of tea. However, the ones looking for great value shopping along with various theme parks and nearby golf courses will find Shenzhen a great destination. Shopping in Shenzhen is definitely the number one attraction in the city. There are many large shopping areas with loads of inexpensive goods for sale. Several theme parks in Shenzhen, such as the Happy Valley, Safari Park, Window of the World and many more offer great family entertainment. Shenzhen also hosts one of the world’s tallest buildings, the Diwang building in Shun Hing Square, a large modern art museum, and an oil painting village where local artists create their masterpieces as well as duplicate Western classical paintings.
Traditional massage and spas in Shenzhen are popular among the people in Hong Kong, as they are much cheaper in Shenzhen. There are several golf courses in Shenzhen that offer entertainment for business and other visitors alike. Local Cantonese cuisine is renowned across the planet, so be sure to taste it. There are also nice and popular beaches in the southern coast of Shenzhen, located in Yantian district. Many parks and a botanical garden offer tranquil spots in the busy city, and there is also a horse racing club popular amongst keen gamblers