Shenzhen
Booming megacity in southern China
Categories: Shenzhen China
Shenzhen is located at the gates of Hong Kong. Anyone wishing to travel to the rapidly growing metropolis of China needs a visa, which is available directly at the border crossing. From Hong Kong airport, tourists reach the metropolis of Shenzhen by subway. By taxi, the journey takes only a quarter of an hour, as the cities merge almost seamlessly.
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More than 30 years ago the Special Economic Zone of the then British Hong Kong was established. The reason for this was that the Chinese in Shenzhen wanted to profit from the region's global trade. Today, the destination presents itself as a modern center of the smartphone and tablet industry, where an estimated 13 million people live.
Shenzhen is one of the richest cities in China. In 2008, the metropolis was awarded the title of City of Design by UNESCO. Since then, the port city has been part of the global Creative Cities Network.
The city's former rice paddies were built on high ground. The Ping An International Finance Center in Shenzhen is the second tallest building in the world. Currently, around 30 buildings are more than 200 metres tall. The Kingkey 100 is one of the most striking skyscrapers.
The cityscape is characterized by the Huaqiangbei Road electrical mile, the Futian banking district and the Dafen artists' quarter. Nanjing Road is the main shopping street of Shenzhen. The Mixc shopping mall offers luxury articles of all kinds.
Shenzhen's landmark is the Park Splendid China Folk and Culture Village. The Window of the World miniature park and the OCT East theme park are very popular. The Botanical Garden is China's only safari park. The green heart of the city is Lizhi Park. About 30 kilometers from the city center, the Sea World aquariums were opened in 1998.
Art lovers can visit numerous museums, including the Cultural History Museum, Shenzhen Art Museum, OCT Design Museum, Hua Art Museum or He Xiangning Art Museum. For history lovers, a day trip from Shenzhen to Dapeng Fortress and Jiaochangwei Coast is recommended.
Active holidaymakers can go cycling or hiking in Hong Kong's nature accompanied by a guide. Around Shenzhen are attractive golf courses such as Mission Hills Resort. The beaches on the South China Sea invite you to go diving and snorkelling. In the subtropical sea climate the water temperatures reach up to 28 degrees.
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To the west of the city is a port with regular ferry services across the Pearl River Delta to Macau, Hong Kong and Zhuhai. Here, the tropical island of Nei Lingding Dao is one of the most popular destinations in Shenzhen, as macaques live in the tropical forest of the nature reserve.
