Ever since the Shenzhen Economic Zone has been established, this vibrant city has been growing astoundingly. It’s thousand-strong skyscrapers is a testament to the economic strength as well as the speed of its growth. Although Shenzhen lacks the historical and cultural attractions of other famous cities in China, it makes up for it with modern architectural wonders and theme parks, drawing in tourists from all over Asia.

Deng Xiaoping was a Chinese leader to enabled many reforms in the country, making the economic success of Shenzhen possible. In memory of Deng, a 6-meter high bronze statue of his likeness was set up in Lotus Hill Park, a 166-hectare fully-forested public park that comprises the largest green space in the central city area. Millions of visitors have since passed by the statue, and many lay flowers on its foot every year on his death anniversary. You can reach Lotus Hill Park by getting off Shaoniangong Metro Station and heading to the southwest gate near the Guan Shanyue Museum.

Window of the World is a 480,000-square meter theme park which possesses 130 miniature versions of famous sites from throughout the 5 continents, from Angkor Wat in Cambodia to the Eiffel Tower in France. It also devotes 2 sections to China’s own wonders: Splendid China focuses on replicas of homegrown historical attractions and natural beauties, while China Folk Culture highlights the many ethic groups of the country, featuring life-sized models of distinctive buildings and ethnic performances. This theme park lives up to its slogan: “Give me a day and we will show you a splendid world.” WOW is located in Huaqiaocheng Bay on the side of Shenzhen Bay.

Happy Valley, near Window of the World, is Shenzhen’s largest theme park, containing 9 major zones. From Cartoon City to Maya Water Park, both children and adults will find something to enjoy in this enormous comlex. Happy Valley is a full-service park, providing lodging, catering, shopping, entertainment, and sightseeing to visitors.

Diwang Mansion is one of the world’s 10 tallest buildings and is a symbol for Shenzhen itself. Located in Central Shennan Road East, the 420-meters high building is the highest in the city and achieved a number of achievements in its construction. You can spend time shopping at the ground floor, which is occupied by Shun Hing Square, a collection of trendy clothing boutiques.

Located at the center of downtown Shenzhen, Shenzhen Museum is home to 20,000 pieces of cultural artifacts, showcasing five millennia of Chinese culture. One of the most impressive exhibits is entitled Shenzhen Growing Up, which features multimedia presentations and scale models to capture the city’s journey from a small fishing village to a world-class urban district.

Near Shenzhen Museum is the Citizen’s Center occupies a massive 91,000-square meter area. The wavy roof of this government building suggests the outstretched wings of an enormous bird called the roc, which is the symbol for the city. It also recalls the elegant designs of Tang Dynasty architecture.

Grand Theater is a great place to visit if you like live performances of classical and traditional Chinese music. Located at 1 Central Hongling Road, the Grand Theater organizes the annual Art Festival of Shenzhen, which emphasizes the epitome of originality in China. This post-modern building spreads over 40,000 square meters, seats 1,500 audience members in the main stage, and possesses an art gallery, library, song and dance hall and karaoke room, as well as all contemporary facilities for the convenience of the performers.

Finally, Luohu Checkpoint Building is Shenzhen’s first customs and immigration checkpoint and China’s most important gateway to Hong Kong. Following the policy of “one country, two systems”, travelers must get off HK’s MTR terminal, walk to the HK side of the building for processing, walk away along the mainland China side, then hop on the inter-city  Guangzhou East Railway Station. Louhu is situated along the banks of Shenzhen River, and gets very crowded with people crossing the border. If you want to skip on the long wait, then head for the lesser-known Futian Kou’an immigration building, which is integrated to the Shenzhen subway building and connects to the Luo Ma Chow station of the MTR system.

Posted in Attractions, China

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