Shenzhen (SZX), China

Shenzhen is a sub-provincial city of Guangdong province and was once a fishing village

Located at the China border with the Special Administrative Region of Hong KongShenzhen forms part of the Pearl River Delta together with Hong Kong and Macau and is also one of the five Special Economic Zones (SEZ) in China. Populated by approximately 13 million people, Shenzhen is further divided into 6 districts - Luohu, Futian, Nanshan, Yantian, Bao'an, and Longgang.

There are many theme and amusement parks of international standards such as the popular Windows of the World. Shenzhen, being a metropolitan city, it is popular among shoppers food connoisseurs. Visitors to Shenzhen can find authentic Guangdong and Szechuan Cuisine.

Places of Interest

1. The Shenzhen Museum

A place to see different eras of history. There are 20,000 different artefacts, including fossils from 100 million years go, art treasures and items from China’s ancient civilisations. The museum has different exhibitions throughout the year. One of the permanent exhibitions worth checking out is Ancient Shenzhen.

Di Wang Building, Shenzhen China

2. Diwang Building
Diwang Building is one of the world’s tallest buildings. From the observatory area, you can see Hong Kong and beyond. The Diwang Building is also a major engineering marvel. Shenzhen is a typhoon-prone area, so the building had to be built in a way that it can withstand varying high wind conditions.

3. Windows of the World
Windows of the World makes seeing the wonders of the world a walk in the park. Literally. This theme park recreates all major buildings and structures from around the world, albeit miniature versions. You’ll get to see the Taj Mahal and the Eiffel Tower all in one visit. This is a huge place, covering 48 hectares. At night, you get to see fireworks and laser shows.



4. Happy Valley

A huge theme park covers 350,000 square kilometres and has nine different themed areas. There’s Spanish Plaza, Adventure Mountain, Cartoon City, Gold Mine Town, Happy Time, Shangri-la Forest, Sunshine Coast, Hurricane Bay and Maya Water Park. Of course, like all proper theme parks, Happy Valley has its share of great roller coasters, water park attractions and fun rides.

5. Dapeng Fortress (大鹏城; pinyin: Dapengcheng)
The Dapeng Fortress was a major construct during the Opium Wars of the 19th century. What’s preserved of the wall today gives visitors a sneak peek into life back during that period.

6. Dafen Oil Painting Village
Visit Dafen Oil Painting Village and be awed by the beautiful oil paintings made by the community of artists living here. The village was unintentionally started by a Hong Kong businessman who wanted to open a place that specialises in reproducing art. Soon after, other artists from all over China started to set up shop here as well. The rest, as they say, is history.

7. OCT Art and Design Gallery 
This art gallery is inside a restored industrial building. A place that used to make consumer goods now displays groundbreaking Chinese art. The different gallery areas here showcase China’s best industrial, fashion and domestic design.
Photo source: ylart.net

8. Shenzhen Bay Sports Center

You can enjoy any water sport you can think of in Shenzhen Bay. The area has parasailing, jet skis, swimming and more. On top of that, you can enjoy all the wonderful wet activities with a great view of Shenzhen’s breathtaking peninsula terrain.

9. Wutong Mountain (梧桐山; pinyin: Wútóng Shān)

The area is a gorgeous lookout point and has beautiful natural hills, forests and plants all around it. A popular spot with tourists and locals.


10. Xiaomeisha Beach

FOODS

Dongmen Food Street (budget)
Location: Dong Men Bu Xing Jie
Dongmeng naturally has a lot of hungry people. So it makes sense that this area is also home to lots of street food stalls selling everything from Asian, Thai, Sichuan, Cantonese and, surprisingly, German food. There are also a lot of big fast food chains here.