Shenzhen

No reviews yetCity Guangdong, China

TIANMIAN VILLAGE, SHENZHEN (81), Shenzhen, Guangdong, China

TIANMIAN VILLAGE, SHENZHEN (113), Shenzhen, Guangdong, China

Window of the World, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China

About Shenzhen

Little more than a cluster of fishing and farming villages before it became China's first Special Economic Zone in 1980, Shenzhen is now a megacity of skyscrapers, tech companies and wide green boulevards facing Hong Kong across the border. The 599-metre Ping An Finance Center tops the Futian skyline, and electronic gadgets of every kind fill the markets of Huaqiangbei.

The city's youth is part of its appeal, but there is history too. Nantou Ancient City and the Ming-era Dapeng Fortress preserve walled towns that predate the boom by centuries, while former factories have become galleries and studios at OCT Loft and painters work in the lanes of Dafen Oil Painting Village.

Shenzhen is also greener and more coastal than many expect. Shenzhen Bay Park runs along the waterfront with mangroves and views to Hong Kong, Wutong Mountain offers proper hiking, and Dameisha Beach draws crowds on summer weekends. Theme parks such as Window of the World make it popular with families.

Best seasonOctober-December, warm and relatively dry

Ideal stay2-3 days

ArrivingShenzhen Bao'an International Airport; high-speed trains to Shenzhen North and Futian; land crossings from Hong Kong

12 Ways to Experience Shenzhen

Arts 2

OCT Loft Creative Culture Park

Old factory buildings in the Overseas Chinese Town area of Nanshan have been reborn as a relaxed creative quarter of galleries, de...

Dafen Oil Painting Village

In Longgang District, this former village became famous for producing huge numbers of oil paintings, including reproductions of ma...

Family 2

Window of the World

This theme park in the Overseas Chinese Town area gathers scaled-down replicas of famous sights from around the globe, from the py...

Splendid China Folk Village

Next to Window of the World, this park pairs miniature versions of Chinese landmarks, such as a long Great Wall model and famous t...

Parks 2

Lianhuashan Park

Lotus Hill rises in the middle of Futian District, and its paths climb through trees and gardens to a summit plaza with one of the...

Shenzhen Bay Park

A long ribbon of parkland follows the shore of Shenzhen Bay, with walking and cycling paths, lawns, mangroves and views across the...

Beaches 1

Dameisha Beach

In Yantian District on the city's eastern coast, Dameisha is a long sandy public beach backed by palms, a seaside park and hotels....

Hikes 1

Wutong Mountain

Shenzhen's highest summit, a little under 950 metres, rises in the east of the city within a forested scenic area. Well-built trai...

Viewpoints 1

Ping An Finance Center

At 599 metres, this stainless-steel-clad skyscraper in Futian is the tallest building in Shenzhen and one of the tallest in the wo...

History 2

Nantou Ancient City

Long before the modern boom, Nantou in Nanshan District was an administrative centre for the surrounding region, and parts of its...

Dapeng Fortress

Built in the late 14th century to defend the coast against pirates, this walled garrison town on the Dapeng Peninsula is one of th...

Shopping 1

Huaqiangbei

This district in Futian is often described as the world's biggest electronics market. Multi-storey malls are packed with stalls se...

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