Shenzhen blog — The fullest Shenzhen travel guide for first-timers

January 2, 2024

Luohu Commerical City

If you miss Luohu Commerical City, it’s a mistake. It’s called a market but it’s no different from a 5-story shopping center. There are more than 700 stores here, selling items from clothing, jewelry, cosmetics to electronics and food.

Happy Valley

Famous theme park in Shenzhen, a suitable entertainment destination for the whole family, especially children. There are more than 100 different entertainment games for adults and children at this place.

Shenzhen Jewellery Museum

It displays more than 10,000 works of art made from jade and other precious stones. You will be able to visit the jade manufacturing process and admire Chinese-style jade masterpieces such as dragons, phoenixes, apricot blossoms, lotus flowers… as well as modern and creative works such as cars and airplanes…

Address: No. 28 Yumin Road, Phu Tien District
Ticket price: 150 Yuan
Opening hours: from 9:00 to 17:30

Guanlan Original Printmaking Base

This village is about 300 years old, the ancient architecture is still preserved and kept today. Houses with the two main colors of Hakka architecture are still present. The peaceful village, with green lotus ponds and galleries of Chinese printing artisans, will be an interesting choice during a trip to explore Shenzhen.

The village is about 300 years old and includes ancient architecture, green lotus ponds, and galleries of Chinese printing artisans. In addition, houses with the two main colors of Hakka architecture are still present.

Shenzhen Museum

A place for you to learn about the city of Shenzhen, the social turmoil after Deng Xiaoping’s reforms or the propaganda posters popular in the 1940s.

Ping An IFC Building

The 4th tallest building in the world and the 2nd tallest in China, an ideal place to see panoramic views of Shenzhen from above at the observatory located at 550m, with the 2nd most luxury hotel in the world.

Design Society

This is a collaboration between the Victoria & Albert Museum London (UK) and China Merchants Group. Inside the glass space are galleries of paintings, works of art, studio spaces, cafes, gift shops, etc. It also contributes to expressing Tham’s ambition to become an art city. Quyen, connecting Chinese design to the whole world.

OCT Art & Design Gallery

This is one of the leading art centers in Shenzhen. The center includes many vibrant colors blended together, you will have a creative look at contemporary art in Shenzhen.

Gankeng Hakka Townlet

Address: 18 Ganli Rd, Long Gang Qu, Shen Zhen Shi, China, 518111

Tourists admire ancient houses built according to traditional Hakka architecture, enjoy typical Hakka dishes such as rice cakes, boiled chicken, green tea… and participate in cultural activities like singing mandarin songs, lion dances, setting off fireworks…

Address: No. 1 Gankeng Avenue, Bao’an District
Ticket price: 60 Yuan
Opening hours: from 9:00 to 17:00

Fairy Lake Botanical Garden

Fairy Lake Botanical Garden is an eco-tourism area with many beautiful plants and flowers, creating a cool and peaceful green space. You can walk in the garden to see rare and unique plants such as red ginseng, jade orchid, roses…

Address: No. 160 Xianhu Road, Phu Tien District
Ticket price: 20 Yuan
Opening hours: from 8:00 to 18:00

COCO Park

COCO Park is a complex that combines shopping, dining and entertainment in downtown Shenzhen. You can also find many shopping stores, restaurants, cafes, cinemas, dance clubs… to relax and have fun.

Address: No. 269 Fuhua Road, Phu Tien District
Opening hours: from 10:00 to 22:00

In addition, you should not miss many other attractive destinations here such as Litchi park, Dapeng fortress, Old Shenzhen museum, Overseas Chinese Town East, Splendid amusement park, Fairy Lake Botanical Garden, Museum of Urban Art and Contemporary Planning… or immerse yourself in nature, lying on Dameisha beach, Xiaomeisha beach, blue sea, white sand, golden sunshine.

What to eat in Shenzhen?

With the characteristics of a migrant city, Shenzhen’s cuisine is a selective fusion of Chinese cuisine and local flavors. Shenzhen specialties are very rich and delicious. These include hot and spicy cuisine of Sichuan province and traditional dishes of Cantonese people. Food costs in Shenzhen are considered cheaper than Hong Kong. Dlicious dishes to try:

Kung Pao Chicken

Kung Pao Chicken is one of the most famous dishes in Shenzhen. The dish stands out with its characteristic spicy and aromatic flavor, because it is cooked with chili and peanuts. Kung Pao chicken dish has an irresistible aroma when it is still hot. When served on a plate, it looks very attractive with many eye-catching colors.

Currently, in addition to chicken, some restaurants have added variations to this dish with pork, beef or seafood, but according to general assessment, chicken is the most harmonious and delicious combination.

Canton Morning Tea (Zao Cha)

Shenzhen’s morning tea is indispensable in the breakfast of the people here. Everyone will start a new day by sipping a cup of hot tea with dim sum.

Shenzhen’s morning tea is the top breakfast in China voted for a long time. Everyone will start their day by sipping a cup of hot tea with dim sum.

Wonton

When talking about Chinese cuisine, it’s impossible not to mention wontons. And Shenzhen is no exception. Shenzhen wontons are delicious and full of flavor because they are made from minced meat, seafood and laksa leaves, then wrapped in a flour shell. Then it is put into a steamer until it turns transperant, has a strong aroma and the filling inside can be seen, meaning the wonton is cooked. Enjoying the delicious taste of the wonton with the rich, delicious spices that cannot be compared anywhere else will make you remember it forever.

Sweet and sour pork

Although quite similar to Vietnamese food from name to form, sweet and sour pork is a familiar dish to Chinese people in general and Shenzhen people in particular. This dish is not only delicious, but the way it is cooked, prepared, presented… is also extremely eye-catching. Each piece of delectable golden brown pork has a rich, sour, sweet taste and a thick sauce with spices like chili, pineapple, pepper, salt, sugar… creating a delicious sweet and sour pork dish that you can’t deny.

Ma Po Tofu

Ma Po tofu has a history of more than 100 years and is a traditional dish of the Chinese people. The ingredients of this dish include tofu, beef or pork, spices… But what leaves the biggest impression is the savory hot sauce made from a type of pepper, giving it a spicy flavor.

Chow Mein Stir-fried Noodles

Chow Mein fried noodles is a simple dish, easy to prepare but has won the love of many visitors to Shenzhen because of its rustic taste. Because it originates from street food, visitors can easily find Chow Mein fried noodles in any corner in Shenzhen.

The ingredients for this stir-fried noodle dish are usually noodles stir-fried with chicken, pork, beef, shrimp… along with onions and spices to create a simple stir-fried noodle dish that is loved by many people.

Cantonese food: Notable are salted seafood porridge, Hakka dishes, Yanjiuji (salted grilled chicken), hongsharou (pork braised in soy sauce),…

What to buy as a gift when traveling to Shenzhen?

Malls in Shenzhen are as busy as shopping in Hong Kong. You can buy household appliances, electronics, clothes, jewelry… Please carefully look at the items you buy to buy quality products. The commercial centers in Shenzhen are no less busy than Hong Kong. However, you should carefully look at the items you buy to buy quality products. Some famous shopping centers in Shenzhen:

Fashion items: Go to Dongmen ancient quarter with a series of large department stores such as Mau Nghiep department store, walking street, Thien Hong market, Thai Duong department store, Bac Nha bookstore, Vong Giac commercial center…
Electronic products: Causeway Bay Department Store, Quantung Square, Huaqiangbei Street, Huaqiang Bei Lu – a place to sell all technology products such as laptops, audio-visual devices… at very good prices.
General shopping: Go to Luohu commercial market, similar to a shopping center even with 5 floors, comfortable space, with more than 700 stores, selling all items from clothes to jewelry, bags, cosmetics to food, DVDs…

Where to stay?

Hotel Kapok Shenzhen Luohu

The hotel is located in the heart of Shenzhen, just three minutes by car from the train station. This is the perfect choice for tourists who want to visit famous tourist destinations inside the city or visit and shop at major shopping centers nearby. (Agoda, Booking)

Best Western Felicity Hotel

Best Western Felicity Hotel is located about 0.5 km from the city center and has 532 rooms. All rooms are fully equipped with amenities. This hotel also has spa, massage, and sauna services for you to relax after a long day of sightseeing and traveling.

The hotel’s restaurant serves guests Western and Cantonese dishes. Snacks and drinks are served at the bar. (Agoda, Booking)

InterContinental Shenzhen

InterContinental Shenzhen has an extremely convenient location for sightseeing and exploring activities in the city, only about a 10-minute drive from Window of the World park and about 200m from Huaqiaocheng subway station.

InterContinental Shenzhen’s architecture is a fusion, harmoniously blending Spanish-inspired luxury with modern design and time-honored local traditions. The hotel is full of 5-star luxury amenities with a swimming pool, spa area, massage area and 7 restaurant and dining areas serving a full range of different European and Asian dishes. (Agoda, Booking)

Four Seasons Hotel

Four Seasons Hotel is rated by international tourists as one of the hotels with the best food service in Shenzhen. Four Seasons always promises to bring unforgettable culinary experiences.

Similar to other hotels on the list, Four Seasons Hotel still has all the necessary equipment to serve visitors as well as separate service areas such as spa, beauty salon, meeting room, and lounge, fitness center… (Agoda, Booking)

Shenzhen Dongmen Metropark Suites Hotel

Shenzhen Luohu Century Plaza Hotel is a luxurious 4-star hotel located about 300 meters from Shenzhen train station. The hotel’s rooms are relatively spacious and decorated with trendy furnishings, each with a work desk, coffee maker and cable TV.

In addition, the hotel also has a fitness and beauty center. Guests can enjoy relaxing massage services at the spa, and the restaurant’s menu is also very rich with many European and Asian dishes.

The Ritz-Carlton

Located in Shenzhen Central Business District, The Ritz-Carlton is the perfect choice for travelers who want to enjoy 5-star standard services. With many high-class services such as Spa, swimming pool, nightclub, and many amenities operating 24/24, The Ritz-Carlton deserves a place in the list of the best hotels in Shenzhen.

In addition, The Ritz-Carlton also provides babysitting services and many fun activities for young guests. (Agoda, Booking)

Grand Skylight Hotel Shenzhen, International Trade Times Square

Grand Skylight Hotel is loved by international tourists because all rooms here are equipped with balconies overlooking the city. Here, you can easily see the bustling lives of local people and other skyscrapers. (Agoda, Booking)

Grand Hyatt

Grand Hyatt is located in the commercial center of Luoho district, about an 8-minute drive from Dongmen pedestrian street. Grand Hyatt is highly appreciated by tourists for its quality of service and many top amenities. In addition, Grand Hyatt’s restaurant is also loved by many tourists. Guests can choose to enjoy traditional Chinese dishes at 1881 restaurant or Italian dishes at La Terrazza and cakes and chocolate at Sugar Box. (Agoda, Booking)

Sunshine Hotel

Visitors staying at Sunshine Hotel will feel like they are lost in a high-end resort with many amenities that few hotels can have such as golf courses, outdoor tennis courts,… The rooms of Sunshine Hotel is also spaciously designed with full amenities, helping to create the most comfortable feeling for visitors. (Agoda, Booking)

Below we recommend more best budget, mid-range and upscale hotels with good ratings and reviews you can refer to.

Wyndham Grand Shenzhen (Agoda, Booking)
Futian Shangri-La, Shenzhen (Agoda, Booking)
JW Marriott Hotel Shenzhen Bao’an (Agoda, Booking)
Sheraton Shenzhen Nanshan (Agoda, Booking)

Check out more top and best hotel in Shenzhen on Agoda or Booking.

Tips before you go

Use phone and internet

Your phone can use mobile networks such as China Mobile, China Unicom, China Telecom… to make phone calls or access the internet. You can buy mobile sim cards at the airport, mobile shops or large supermarkets.

However, you need to note that China applies strict internet censorship policies, many popular websites and applications such as Facebook, Google, Youtube… are blocked. You can use VPN software to overcome this firewall.

Use communicative language

You will have difficulty communicating with native speakers in English, especially those working in the tourism or service sector.

You should learn some basic Chinese sentences to communicate when necessary. You should also note down addresses in Chinese to make it easier to ask for directions or catch a taxi.

Respect local culture

You should follow the rules of conduct when traveling to Shenzhen. You should greet by bowing or shaking hands, and should not hug or kiss on the cheek when meeting new people.

Pay attention to your attire, you should wear polite clothes when entering public places such as temples, museums, restaurants…

Note, you should bargain when shopping at markets or small stores, and should not buy from street vendors or people asking for money.

Just by holding the above complete set of Shenzhen travel guide, you can confidently carry your backpack to explore the top shopping and entertainment center in China. Wishing you a fun and memorable trip!

Some best day tours, trips, activities and transfer services, tickets in, from and to Shenzhen you can refer to

Read more China guide here.