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Voykit pocket guide · China
Shenzhen
深圳
Cross into Shenzhen for a day trip or one night from Hong Kong to see electronics markets and a skyline built almost entirely since 1980; skip it if you have no interest in tech shopping or modern architecture.
Shenzhen is a technology and manufacturing city directly across the border from Hong Kong. It grew from a fishing town into a metropolis of over 17 million after being named China's first Special Economic Zone in 1980, and it now has electronics wholesale markets, art districts and a new-generation skyline. Border crossings and metro links to Hong Kong are direct and fast.
- Country
- China
- Local name
- 深圳
- Best months
- Oct–Dec: warm, drier weather with lower typhoon risk
- Avoid
- Jun–Sep (heat, humidity and the main typhoon season)
- Stay
- 0–1 nights
Checked 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change; anything marked (check) is not confirmed.
Essentials
- Currency
- CNY
- Money
- Alipay and WeChat Pay accept Visa, Mastercard, JCB and Amex cards; single payments over ¥200 carry a fee of about 3% on a foreign card (smaller ones are free), and per-payment and yearly caps apply — check the app. Keep a second way to pay.
- SIM and data
- A roaming eSIM from outside China routes traffic through its home network, so Google, WhatsApp and Instagram work without a VPN — the simplest setup.
- Emergency
- Police 110 · Ambulance 120 · Fire 119
- Plugs
- Types A, C, I · 220 V · 50 Hz · Many sockets take flat two-pin (A), round two-pin (C) and angled three-pin (I) plugs; UK plugs need an adapter.
- Tipping
- Restaurants: No tip; upmarket hotels add 10–15% service.; Taxis and DiDi: No tip.; Tour guides and drivers: Expected on organised tours: about ¥100–200 a day for a guide, ¥50–100 for a driver.; Hotel porters: Not expected; ¥10–20 in luxury hotels.
- Water
- Not for drinking from the tap; bottled water ¥2–5, and kettles and free bottles in hotel rooms. Restaurants serve hot water or tea.
- Toilets
- Public toilets are frequent and free; squat toilets outside hotels and malls. Carry tissues — many have no paper.
Get in
By air
- SZX · Shenzhen Bao'an
- Metro Line 11 links to the centre in about 40 minutes
Get around
The metro is extensive and covers the electronics markets, OCT Loft and both main border crossings. Set up Alipay or WeChat Pay in advance, since cash is rarely used. Crossing to or from Hong Kong needs your passport at Luohu, Futian or the Shenzhen Bay checkpoint.
See and do
Known for
- Huaqiangbei electronics and components markets
- OCT Loft's converted-factory galleries and cafes
- Window of the World theme park's miniature landmarks
- Shekou's waterfront bars and expat-friendly restaurants
- Ping An Finance Centre and the Shenzhen skyline
Sleep
- Futian
- Central business district, metro hub and the border checkpoint to Hong Kong's East Rail Line.
- Nanshan and Shekou
- Waterfront cafes and bars, quieter than Futian.
Language
Mandarin is the language of the whole country, written in Simplified characters; Cantonese dominates Guangdong and Hong Kong, and dozens of regional languages survive at home. English is on metro signs, airports and large hotels; elsewhere use a translation app. Pinyin (the romanisation) helps with names but tones change meaning.
- Translation apps: Baidu Translate, Youdao, Microsoft Translator and Apple Translate work without a VPN; Google Translate needs one or a roaming eSIM.
- Show destinations to taxi drivers in characters; copy them from Amap.
Etiquette, safety and scams
Etiquette
- Greeting: Handshake and a nod; use surnames with a title; avoid: Hugs and cheek kisses
- Face: Disagree privately and indirectly; avoid: Correcting or embarrassing someone in front of others
- Gifts: Give with two hands; expect the gift to be refused once or twice and opened later; avoid: Clocks, umbrellas, white flowers, sets of four
- Business cards: Present and receive with both hands, read it, keep it on the table; avoid: Writing on it or pocketing it at once
- Queues and crowds: Hold your ground politely in scrums at buses and lifts; avoid: Taking pushing personally
- Temples: Walk clockwise around Tibetan stupas and prayer wheels; remove hats; avoid: Touching statues or photographing where signs forbid
- Politics: Listen; follow your host's lead; avoid: Raising Tibet, Taiwan, Xinjiang, 1989 or the party leadership
- Numbers and colour: Red and 8 are lucky; red envelopes carry money gifts; avoid: Writing names in red; the number 4
Scams and watch-outs
- Have your passport and a valid visa or exemption ready at the border crossing; queues can be long at peak times.
- Foreign SIM cards and VPN access work differently once across the border from Hong Kong; check your provider and any apps you rely on before crossing.
- Electronics-market vendors may sell counterfeit or grey-market goods; check warranties and authenticity before buying.
Generally safe for a day visit; the main friction points are border queues and counterfeit goods in the electronics markets.
One and two days
No timed day plan for Shenzhen yet. Suggested stay: 0–1 nights. Build a day from the list below, mornings for the big sight.
- Huaqiangbei electronics and components markets
- OCT Loft's converted-factory galleries and cafes
- Window of the World theme park's miniature landmarks
- Shekou's waterfront bars and expat-friendly restaurants
- Ping An Finance Centre and the Shenzhen skyline
Sources
Written by Voykit; facts cross-checked against these sources, last desk check 2026-09. Prices, hours and rules change: check on the day.
- Shenzhen official portal: www.sz.gov.cn/en_szgov/
- Wikivoyage — Shenzhen: en.wikivoyage.org/wiki/Shenzhen
Pocket card
Cut along the border and keep it in your wallet. Show the local-script lines to a driver.
Printed from Voykit (/shenzhen). Written by Voykit; checked 2026-09. Estimates only: confirm prices, hours and entry rules on the day.