The city draws a mix of businessmen, investors and migrant workers to its golden gates.
Shenzhen is
in the southern part of the Guangdong Province neighboring the Pearl River
Delta and Hong Kong.
It began
life as a small fishing village but in 1980 Beijing awarded it Special Economic
zone status and began pumping money into it. Consequently in the space of 20
years it rapidly developed into China’s richest city,
But this
rapid economic growth has led to overcrowding (with a population of approximately
five million) and a shortage of land. In fact much of the industry that helped
Shenzhen accumulate its wealth is already moving out to less developed regions
in China where land and wages remain low.
However what
Shenzhen lacks in historical attractions, it more than makes up for in its
modern attractions. Most people come here for its well-deserved reputation as a
shopping haven. To attract more
tourists there are also now a selection of luxury hotels, bars, and restaurants
as well as a number of excellent theme parks that are designed to entertain as
well as teach about China and the world.
Shenzhen’s climate
is typically subtropical. Summers can be scorching hot, while winters are
moderate. Also worth noting is that summer and autumn are regularly prone to
cyclones.
The average
monthly temperatures are:
|
°C |
Jan |
Feb |
Mar |
Apr |
May |
Jun |
Jul |
Aug |
Sep |
Oct |
Nov |
Dec |
|
Day |
18 |
18 |
22 |
26 |
30 |
31 |
33 |
33 |
31 |
29 |
24 |
20 |
|
Night |
10 |
11 |
15 |
19 |
23 |
24 |
25 |
25 |
24 |
21 |
16 |
11 |
If you are
looking for fake designer goods at bargain prices, Shenzhen is the place for
you. There are also plenty of places to buy electricals, perfumes, bags,
watches, and DVDs (fake ad genuine). But Shenzhen is also a great place for
tailor-made clothes and Chinese handicrafts.
The main area is Lo Wu Commercial City which is full of department stores and shopping
centers. Certain areas are good for certain products so Dongmen Pedestrian The street is great for a variety of shops, restaurants and cinemas, Hua Qiang Bei
is a good area for electricals, Women’s World is ideal for clothing and Chinese
and English Street in the Yantian District is a must because it’s a tax-free
street!
Much of the
entertainment in the area is based around the theme parks and golf. There are
numerous golf courses in the area.
Other than
that you can also enjoy classical music and opera at the Shenzhen Grand Theatre
and there are also numerous cinemas.
If you are
looking for bars and clubs then the best areas are Huaqiao City and Sea World
Square of the Shekon District. You could try out the True Color Bars (Futian
& Luohu Districts), Lao Dou bar (Futian District) or Base Bar (Shangbu
& Nanshen District).
There are
many theme parks in Shenzhen to visit (see & do section) however if you
want to see what else this area of China has to offer you may like to visit one
of these attractions:
Medical
treatment can be expensive therefore you are strongly advised to ensure you
have sufficient medical insurance in place before traveling.
The tap
water is not considered safe to drink and you are therefore advised to drink
bottled water. Crime is not considered a major problem but you should take the
usual precautions when in busy areas.
