Shenzhen
From ChinaTravelGuide
South China (华南) » Guangdong (广东) » Shenzhen (深圳)
[edit] Overview
Shenzhen (深圳) is in the southern part of Guangdong Province (广东), separated from Hong Kong (香港) by the Shenzhen River. It's often called as the backyard of Hong Kong. Shenzhen is bordered by Dongguan and Huizhou to the north, and the South China Sea and the Pacific Ocean to the east.
Shenzhen has a population of 10 million and covers 1,952.84 sq km.
Benefiting from China's Reform and Open policy, Shenzhen enjoys all the benefits of a modern city. Home to the Shenzhen Stock Exchange, Shenzhen is also the second busiest port in mainland China (after Shanghai).
However, Shenzhen is more than just an economic bustling modern city. It's also a popular tourist destination and shopping Mecca for leisure travelers. Famous attractions include Splendid China featuring 118 exquisite, magnificent, and the most famous tourist destinations in China reduced to miniature size; Window of the World presenting replicas of more than 130 world famous constructions and relics; China Folk Culture Village where you can see genuine life size living ethnic minorities in colorful native costume; and Happy Valley a modern theme park emphasizing visitor involvement, sightseeing, entertainment and interests, featuring themes of sea, land and air.
[edit] History
Shenzhen is a symbol of China's reform and opening up policy. With skyscrapers and modern streets covering the whole city, it is hard to imagine only 30 years ago, it was still one of the poorest villages in the country.
[edit] Weather
| Weather averages for Shenzhen | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
| Avg high °C (°F) | 20 (68) | 20 (68) | 22 (72) | 26 (79) | 29 (84) | 31 (88) | 32 (90) | 32 (90) | 31 (88) | 29 (84) | 25 (77) | 21 (70) | |
| Avg low °C (°F) | 13 (55) | 13 (55) | 16 (61) | 20 (68) | 24 (75) | 26 (79) | 26 (79) | 26 (79) | 25 (77) | 22 (72) | 18 (64) | 14 (57) | |
| Rain mm (inches) | 21 (0.8) | 33 (1.3) | 45 (1.8) | 113 (4.4) | 159 (6.3) | 238 (9.4) | 252 (9.9) | 282 (11.1) | 166 (6.5) | 41 (1.6) | 22 (0.9) | 21 (0.8) | |
| Source: per MSN 2008 | |||||||||||||
Current Conditions (2010-03-15 00:02:00, local time)
|
Shenzhen |
Temp: 84°F (29°C) |
Shenzhen Weather Forecast
|
Tuesday |
Wednesday |
Thursday |
Friday |
[edit] Map
Click here to open Shenzhen map.
[edit] Video
| Shenzhen |
Get the Flash Player to see this player. |
[edit] Getting in & Getting out
[edit] By Air
Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport (Inquiry phone: 95000666) is about 32 km from the city center. It has more than 110 domestic flights, and 14 international flights, and one of the top 4 busiest airports in China.
[edit] By Train
Shenzhen Railway Station is located at the junction of Jianshe Lu, Heping Lu and Renmin Nan Lu and provides links to different parts of China. There are frequent high speed trains to Guangzhou, plus long-distance trains to Beijing, Shanghai, Changsha, Jiujiang, Maoming, Shantou and other destinations. The train from Hong Kong's East Tsim Sha Tsui MTR station to the Lo Wu and Lok Ma Chau border crossings take 43 minutes and 45 minutes respectively. Trains depart East Tsim Sha Tsui for Lo Wu every 6–8 minutes from 5:36am to 11:13pm. The border crossing at Lo Wu is open daily from 6:30am to midnight. The Lok Ma Chau border crossing closes around 10:30. The border crossing at Lok Ma Chau often is much less busy than the Lo Wu crossing and so Immigration lines are usually much shorter. Returning trains from Lo Wu to East Tsim Sha Tsui depart every 6–8 minutes from 6:38am to 12:30am. The Lok Ma Chau Trains run at 10 minute intervals.
There is another railway station located in Nanshan District, Shenzhen Xi, which is used for a small number of long distance trains, such as the one to Hefei.
The Shenzhen Metro system opened on 27 December 2004. It has two lines, one from Luohu (Lo Wu & Shenzhen railway stations) to Window of the World, and the other from Futian kouan to Shaonian gong (youth palace). A new line is under construction and is expected to start service in the second half of 2010. --from wikipedia.org
[edit] By Bus
Since February 2003, the road border crossing at Huanggang and Lok Ma Chau in Hong Kong has been open 24 hours a day. The journey can be made by private vehicle or by bus. On 15 August 2007, the Lok Ma Chau-Huanggang pedestrian border crossing opened, linking Lok Ma Chau Station with Huanggang. With the opening of the crossing, shuttle buses between Lok Ma Chau transport interchange and Huanggang were terminated.
Taxis are metered and come in three colors. Red taxis may travel anywhere; green ones are restricted to outside the SEZ, and yellow ones are restricted to inside the SEZ.
There are also frequent bus and van services from Hong Kong International Airport to Huanggang and most major hotels in Shenzhen. --from wikipedia.org
[edit] By Ship
There are ferries from Hong Kong (TsimShaTsui, Central -also know as HongKong/Macau and the airport), Macau, and Zhuhai. They land at the ferry terminal at Shekou. There is further information available online: Hong Kong Ferry Info [1], Shenzhen Ferry Info [2] (site only in Chinese, English version under construction). --from wikitravel.org
[edit] Getting Around
[edit] By Public Bus
You can get to/from the airport through the following ways:
- Buses go to Hualian Building every 20 minutes starting from 7:30am every day. They stop at Shennan Road, Zhuzilin, Investment Building, Hualian Building, and terminates at the west side of the for the Lo Wu Railway Station.
- Buses from Hualian Building to the airport leave about every 15 minutes between 6:20am and 9:00pm. The whole trip takes about 35 minutes without any stops.
- There are many buses going to other parts of the city from the airport: bus line 327 goes to the water park; bus line 355 goes to Shekou; 602 goes to the Baocheng Shanqu; K568 runs between the train station and the airport; 651 (via the airport) goes to the Baoan Trade City; and aslo lines 659, 660, 664, and 665. The bus fares are about 2~35 RMB depending on the distance. The entire trip for a typical bus is about one hour.
- Airport shuttles go to the Hong Kong airport every 20 minutes, stopping at Kowloon, Wan Chai, and Hong Kong Disneyland. The fare is 110~200 RMB.
[edit] By Tour Bus
[edit] By Metro
The Shenzhen Metro (深圳地铁) is the most convenient and easy to understand method of transport around the Shenzhen city area. It is very affordable, each ride is ¥5 or less. The train comes about every 3 minutes. Unfortunately, as of 2009, the Metro only runs until 11PM. --from wikitravel.org
[edit] By Taxi & Rental Car
You can take a taxi from Shenzhen Airport to the urban areas. The fare from the airport to the area around Guomao and Lowu is about 130 yuan (the highway toll included).
[edit] Attractions
- Huaqiao City (华侨城旅游度假区)
- Guanlan Lake Golf Club (观澜湖高尔夫球会)
- Splendid China features the famous tourist destinations in China reduced to miniature size.
- Window of the World has duplicated more than 130 world famous constructions and relics, including the Angkor Wat and the French Eiffel Tower.
- China Folk Culture Village displays genuine life size living ethnic minorities in colorful native costume.
- Happy Valley combines visitor involvement, sightseeing, entertainment and interests, featuring themes of sea, land and air.
- The Red Forest Park has a wide collection of world's rare tree species and birds, and the 384-meter-high Diwang Building, when it was built in 1996, represented the highest building in Asia.
- Da Meisha and Xiao Meisha Beaches: Premium beaches in Shenzhen
[edit] Shenzhen International Tourist Culture Festival
October and November ever year
It is a tourist culture fair held by Shenzhen Municipal Government and sponsored by Shenzhen Tourism Bureau and Municipal Culture Bureau. With "Splendid Shenzhen and capital of joy " as the theme, it fully demonstrates the strong local features and styles of Shenzhen, show the magnificent international demeanor of Shenzhen ,creates strong tourist &cultural atmosphere ,and promotes the tourism & culture of Shenzhen ,merging with the world.
[edit] Hotels
[edit] Budget
[edit] Mid Range
[edit] Luxury
Refer to the detailed list of hotels in Shenzhen.
[edit] Restaurants
It would be a lie to say that food preparation standards in mainland China, including Shenzhen are up to the standards in Hong Kong or the developed world. That being said, to not eat local food, is a great disservice to yourself. Chinese food, especially local food is fantastic. From super spicy dishes, to sweet and delicate yummy dishes, to fresh fish pulled right from the ocean, Shenzhen has it all. As a migrant city, all of the regional cuisines of China are represented with restaurants ranging from hole-in-the-wall establishments for working class arrivals to opulent restaurants for businessmen and politicians entertaining guests. If you are a foreigner, spending ¥100 on a fantastic meal is no problem (though, you can spend ¥35 on a fantastic meal in Shenzhen). Treat yourself, and enjoy the wonderful foods of Shenzhen!
Upset stomachs are common in mainland China especially for foreigners who are not accustomed to local water and food. Food from street stalls, food which is uncooked, raw vegetables (eg salads) or unpeeled fruits may make you sick. Washing doesn't help, because tap water in China is generally unclean. In summary, be sensible and only drink and wash with bottled water.
There are a lot of bars and restaurants in Shekou which is the main residential zone for Shenzhen's sizable Western expatriate community. There are plenty of eateries in the Hua Qiang Bei area, for non-China based brands, eg McDonald's, KFC, Pizza Hut, Starbucks, AijiSen.
Overseas Chinese Town (OCT) is famous for its numerous dining options, including some of the best Korean restaurants in Shenzhen. All are within easy walking distance from the Hua Qiao Cheng (OCT) metro station, behind the recently opened InterContinental Shenzhen Hotel.
Recommendations:
- 名人 (Celebrity Club), DongHai, FuTian. Specializing in Cantonese food, and famous for "dim sum".
- Tivoli Ristorante Italiano & Bar, Sea World, Shekou.
- Xiao Fei Yang (literal translation "little plump lamb") — Lamb meat imported from Mongolia, it is a steam boat based Mongolia cuisine. There are other meats and vegetable ingredients for the steam boat on the menu. One type of steamboat is called 'Yung Yong'. The steamboat is separated into two halves, one half contains normal non-spicy soup stock and the other half contains 'Ma la' (literal translation "numbing spicy") soup stock.
- Prince Kitchen, 5-6/F, CITIC Plaza, 1093 Shennan Zhong Rd. Serves fantastic mix of Japanese, Thai, Chinese and Steaks. Even whilst being quite dark inside, you can still see it is very stylish.
--from wikitravel.org
[edit] Shopping
- Lo Wu (Luo Hu) Commercial City is just across from the Hong Kong border. It offers a very different experience to shopping in Hong Kong and is therefore worth a visit if only spending a short time in China. Spread over several levels are many small stores, each selling similar products: watches, jewellery, handbags, clothes and DVDs. These products are rarely authentic but they are often very well made and detailed fakes. There are many stallholders pressuring shoppers to part with their money but the atmosphere is one of enjoyable bartering. This is the place to go for Western sizes in clothing and shoes. This is also the place to go to have massages and nails done dirt cheap as well. Metro: Luohu, exit A.
- Dong Men Pedestrian Street is the place to go for clothes and small-ticket items. This place is better than Luohu Commercial City in terms of price and range of items. Other than several department stores, most are smaller stalls. The price is cheap, even at local standards. You can easily spend a day there. Metro: Lao Jie, exit A.
- Dong Hai Pacific Mall — New movie theatre and 4 level mall, featuring array of restaurants, coffee shops, clothing and other goods. In the heart of 东海 (Dong Hai) neighborhood on the west side of 福田区 (the FuTian district). Just 2 blocks from the Sam's Club/Cinema complex (see below). Accessible from 车公庙地铁站 (CheGongMiao metro station).
- Wal Mart — Currently there are 8 stores but more are being built all the time. Also check out Carrefour, and Sam's Club. Sam's membership is ¥150. In Futian, they are building a huge Sam's/Wal Mart/ multi-plex theatre.
- MixC Shopping Mall is currently the largest (and easily the most expensive) shopping mall in Shenzhen. Highlights include the following: Olympic size indoor Ice Skating Rink, Golden Harvest Cinema movie theater, Ole (high end supermarket with many imported items), Spaghetti House and Starbucks. Metro: Da Ju Yuan, exit C-3.
- Hua Qiang Bei — Much like Dong Men, this is the place for anything electronic. Starbucks is here too. Metro: Hua Qiang Lu, exit A.
- Jusco — The Japanese supercenter if you crave Western gadgets, it has a location in Shenzhen, next door to the CITIC Mall (which also has Starbucks). Metro: Ke Xue Guan, exit D.
- KingGlory Plaza — A mall, along the lines of MixC. It is fairly high priced. It includes a movie theater as well as the "IN" bar/nightclub (that's the name of it) and "Yellow" bar. Metro: Guo Mao, exit A.
- Shekou — The expat hangout with everything Western that you might be accustomed too. Bus numbers 113, K113, 204, K204 and 328 to the end of the line (to the West) will get you to Shekou.
- Shenzhen Book City, Fu Zhong Road 1, Futian District, Shenzhen, Metro: Shao Nian Gong Station 少年宫站, Exit C or D. This is a huge bookstore with a great selection of books, music, movies, and multimedia products. The bookstore is the second biggest in the country.
- Coco Park — New shopping mega complex, located near 购物公园 (shopping center Gou Wu Gong Yuan) metro station. Sports clothing, fashion, some restaurants, including "Norway.Oslo" which has some outdoor seating.
- SEG Electronics Market — A huge market for all things electronic. The first two floors are components (ICs, wires, switches, etc.) and the other 4 floors will supply you with any electronic device your heart desires. Located At the corner of Huaqiang Rd. and Shennan Blvd. Metro: Hua Qiang Lu.
- Mingtong Electronics Market — Few minutes from the SEG market houses watch parts, electronic toys, and mobile phone parts.
- Central Walk — Another Shopping complex in Shenzhen. Base tenant is Carrefour, but also has usual shops, restaurants and a cinema. Starbucks and Italian Best Coffee (Illy Coffee) are located here. Subway (Sandwiches) also has opened here. Located one block away from the exhibition centre on Fuhua Road. Take Metro to Exhibition Centre stop and Central Walk is located at exit B. 5 minutes walk from Coco Park.
Major credit cards i.e. Visa, Masters, HSBC are accepted throughout Shenzhen. JCB and American Express have limited coverage. Cirrus, Plus & Maestro facilities allow owners to withdraw money from banks. Remember to activate your card for the pin usage. MixC has ATMs for some of the international credit cards, where cash can be withdrawn in those ATMs against your credit limit.
Bank of China, China Merchants Bank, and most Chinese banks accept foreign cards. You may check with your bank to see if they have a local branch here. Most ATMs are open for 24 hours. Some are only opened if you swipe the card at the security doors.
At places in Luo Hu, cash is highly recommended. Some places charge an extra 10% for credit card purchases. The shop assistants will bring you to shops that have credit card processing machines. At shopping centers, remember to check with the cashiers to see if they accept credit cards before making purchases. There are few shopping centers that accept credit card with passport verification, though you may lose your discount on the purchase.--
from wikitravel.org
[edit] Night Life & Entertainment
Some bars in and around Shenzhen:
- The Terrace Live Music & Thai Food, SeaWorld, Shekou.
- McCawley's Irish Bar & Restaurant, Shekou.
- Mustang Sally's, Shekou. Closed due to flooding.
- French Kiss, SeaWorld, Shekou. Closed due to flooding.
- The Beatles, SeaWorld, Shekou.
- X-Ta-Sea, SeaWorld, Shekou.
- Soho, JiaBin Rd, LuoHu.
- Beer Paradise, Shekou. Serves lots and lots and lots of beer.
- Mary's Bar, Shekou.
- Vbar, Windows of the World, (on the 3rd floor of the Crowne Plaza Hotel. See below).
- Ibiza, Hua Qiang Bei.
- UBar, Jiabin Rd, LuoHu.
- Kingway, LuoHu. Beer factory and beer garden.
- Yes Bar, LuoHu.
Note: If you want to drink beer, Tsing Tao is a popular Chinese beer, or try Shenzhen's own Kingway (金威啤酒) beer, brewed in two locations in Shenzhen and available in any convenient store, bar, or restaurant. In stores such as a.best or Wal-Mart it will cost ¥3.50 per can, or ¥3.80 for a large bottle (need bottle opener). 7-eleven sells Kingway for ¥9, and local restaurants about ¥12-35. Bars typically charge slightly more that restaurants, it will cost you somewhere in the ¥55-80 range, though many have specials such as 2 for 1.
--from wikitravel.org
[edit] Sports & Recreation
[edit] Spas and Massage
Shenzhen is a popular place for Hong Kong people to go to get a massage. Prices are low compared with Hong Kong, though generally higher than elsewhere in China. A foot massage, pronounced “xi jiao”, (which actually often consists of massaging your shoulders, back, arms, legs, and feet!) costs ¥25-50 for 60-80 minutes depending on the location, time of day, and quality of the establishment. A full-body massage (pronounced “an mo” or “song gu”) costs ¥50-150 for 90-120 minutes.
In recent years many large spa and massage complexes have appeared in Shenzhen. For an entrance fee of around ¥100 (waived if you purchase around ¥160 of spa and massage services) you get 24 hours of access to a spa pool, saunas, showers, baths, and other amenities depending on the facility such as a gym or pool. Paid services often include Internet access, billiards, and rentable "multi-purpose rooms" with KTV/karaoke and games. Complimentary items include drinks (sometimes restricted to juice) and fruit; food can be bought for ¥20–¥50 a plate. For around ¥50 for 45 minutes (not including a ¥10–¥30 tip and often a 10% service charge) you can have head, foot, leg, shoulder, back, or hand massage while lying in one of the many reclining chair-couches — two types at once if you wish — and watch personal TV, read a book, or relax. For around ¥150 you can have 90 minutes of full-body Chinese, Thai, or Hong Kong-style massage in a private room or with your friends. Chinese Medical Massage and aromatherapy oil massages are usually available at a premium. Masseuses and masseurs hail from various regions around China and are listed with pictures and statistics in catalogues and can be selected by number. Very few of them speak any English.
Spa complexes can be found around the border crossings with Hong Kong, so as to cater to the relatively rich Hong Kong population looking to unwind. In the basement of the Luohu customs and immigration building (not the LCC mall) free shuttles are available to various spas, some of which also have themed waiting areas with price lists and pictures of the facilities. Some spas have representatives standing around to give out discount tickets (often ¥20) as an enticement.
Massages tend to be rather painful, especially on the feet! If you can endure it, you'll notice the lasting benefits. But if it's too much, you can say "Teng! Teng!" (Pronounced like "tongue") to express your pain and make them ease up. It's best to not reveal you know any spoken Chinese because you'll immediately face uncomfortable questions about your salary, weight, etc.
Near Lok Ma Chau border crossing:
- SLF International Spa Club [3] branded as Water Cube is brand new, hence in excellent condition, and tastefully designed with an interior resembling a luxury hotel. Although English is barely spoken by anybody, the staff are clearly trained to be first class and they try their best to be helpful — and sell massages, which cost ¥48 for 45 minutes of lounge-chair massage through ¥128–238 for 90 minutes of full-body massage in the usual styles, 10% service charge and tip separate. The spa is visible from the main street outside Lok Ma Chau border crossing and metro stop, and shuttles are available to Luo Wu and Huanggang border crossings. Gym, fruit, full drink menu including iced lemon tea and coffee, gym, and videogames complimentary; internet, karaoke and VIP room rental, billiards, table tennis, and of course food all charged separately.
Near Luohu border crossing:
- Queen Spa. This spa is showing its age like an old resort hotel in Las Vegas, although it remains a popular tourist destination in part because it has the notable advantage of having English-speaking staff on duty and identified with clearly visible tags year-round. The entry fee of ¥98 is waived after ¥168 of spa services paid, not including the 10% service charge and tips of ¥10-30 per 45 minutes. Foot/head/leg massage is ¥56/45 min and Chinese massage ¥168/90min. Perks include a swimming pool, a gym, videogames, and free ice-cream and juice and fruit. Free WiFi and five-minute Internet terminals are available in the shared area. The spa has a range of VIP services available such as private Royal Club rooms with a semi-private second swimming pool and Rolls Royce transfers from Luohu (¥30) or the airport.
- Gold Coast Club [4] at Building 1-4, Kaili Hotel, 2027 Jiabin Road East, Luohu. Beautiful interior, entry fee of ¥138 with 10% service charge. Party room rental for ¥60/hour to ¥120/hour depending on size with karaoke and chess and games included.
- Sentosa International SPA Club, shuttle available, offering in March '09 four hours of Chinese massage for ¥108 and ¥88 for any three types of foot/head/leg/etc massage.
Caution: In most hotels, prostitution is widespread. In some seedier areas, "massage" may actually mean sex. Use your best judgment.
--from wikitravel.org
[edit] Excursions & Day Trips
[edit] Tips & Practical Info
Crime levels in Shenzhen are significantly higher than in neighbouring Hong Kong. That being said, it is still no reason to panic as the crime levels are still comparable with any of the great Western cities like Sydney, London or New York. Use your usual common sense and avoid going to deserted places alone at night, and you will probably be fine.
Shenzhen has lots of pickpockets, especially in areas around bus and train stations. Also watch out for groups of children, who will tackle and hold you around your legs until you give them money to go away.
Leave your passports in your hotel's safe deposit. Divide your cash by stuffing some in your pants pocket too.
Be careful to exchange money only with recognized places or people as they may give you fake currency. To be safe, only do your currency exchange at the Bank of China.
Be sure to keep an eye on the bigger notes (¥100 especially) given during payment to the salespeople, they may exchange it under the table while you are not looking and claim that you have given them a fake note. It is recommended to always keep loose change (smaller denominations) while taking a taxi or shopping at the market.
Lo Wu District and particularly the old part (for a city which started in 1979) is more localized. You will not find many Westerners there but like anywhere else on earth if you are friendly and patient, people will be the same in return. Almost no one will speak any English in this district but don't let that put you off. There are great bargains to be had in the electronics district. They have a wide selection at great prices. You can catch a 97 bus from in front of the Golden Business Centre (Bentley) for 2 yuan but in the old village the bus stops are not marked. You will know when you are close because the streets will be packed with people, bicycles, taxis, buses and cars going both directions with limited concern for road rules. --from wikitravel.org
