Discovering Destinations

Shenzhen skyline and Ping An Finance Center
Photo credit: China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC).

There are cities you visit to see history. There are cities you visit for food. And then there is Shenzhen, where you sometimes feel that you have accidentally walked into the future.

My first impression was simple: Where did all these skyscrapers come from?

Shenzhen’s transformation is remarkable. What was once a much smaller settlement has become a major modern metropolis, famous for technology, design, manufacturing and an astonishing collection of futuristic buildings. The city is also recognized by UNESCO as a City of Design.

But Shenzhen isn’t just glass towers and smartphones. Spend a few days here and you discover parks, beaches, old fortresses, creative neighborhoods, theme parks and plenty of opportunities to get lost — especially if you cannot read Chinese.

And that brings me to my first adventure.

The Language Challenge: One Wrong Character and You’re Somewhere Else

Before arriving, I had confidently told myself, “I’ll manage. English is spoken internationally.”

That confidence lasted approximately until I entered a restaurant.

Shenzhen is an international city, and you can certainly find English speakers, particularly in hotels, tourist attractions and some businesses. But outside those areas, English can become much less useful, particularly with taxi drivers, small restaurants and local shops.

Chinese characters suddenly become extremely important.

I discovered that pointing at a picture on a menu is an internationally recognized survival technique.

The good news is that translation apps can make traveling considerably easier. Having the Chinese name and address of your hotel or attraction saved on your phone is particularly useful. Even better, keep a screenshot available in case your internet connection decides to take an unscheduled holiday.

And don’t worry about making mistakes. A smile, a pointing finger and Google Translate can form a surprisingly effective international diplomatic service.

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1. Ping An Finance Center — Touching the Shenzhen Sky

Ping An Finance Center
Photo credit: EYESHENZHEN / Shenzhen Municipal sources.

If you want to understand why Shenzhen is often described as a futuristic city, start here.

The Ping An Finance Center dominates the Futian skyline. Its observation deck, known as Free Sky, is on the 116th floor, around 547.6 meters above the ground. Visitors can take a high-speed elevator up and look across an enormous urban landscape. On clear days, views can extend toward Hong Kong.

The elevator ride itself is impressive.

You enter at ground level thinking, “Well, this is going to take a while.”

Then suddenly you’re looking down at a city that appears to have been built using LEGO.

From up there, Shenzhen’s enormous scale becomes obvious. Roads look like lines drawn with a ruler, cars resemble toys and skyscrapers suddenly don’t seem quite so tall.

Until you remember you’re standing on the 116th floor.

2. Lianhua Hill Park — Shenzhen from a Different Angle

Lianhua Hill Park and Shenzhen skyline
Photo credit: Shenzhen Municipal Culture, Radio, Television, Tourism and Sports Bureau / EYESHENZHEN.

After spending time among skyscrapers, I wanted something slightly more natural.

Lianhua Hill Park provides exactly that.

The park is one of Shenzhen’s notable landmarks, with greenery, walking areas and elevated views over the city. It is particularly interesting because you can stand among trees while looking directly toward the enormous modern skyline.

It gives you a different perspective of Shenzhen.

Instead of looking up at the skyscrapers, you’re looking across them.

And if your legs are tired from sightseeing, you can tell yourself that walking up the hill is not exercise — it is cultural exploration.

That’s my story, anyway.

3. Window of the World — See the Planet in One Afternoon

Window of the World
Photo credit: Asia Odyssey Travel.

Shenzhen has a slightly unusual attraction called Window of the World.

Imagine someone took famous landmarks from around the planet, shrank them down and decided to put them all in one enormous park.

That’s essentially the idea.

You can see replicas inspired by landmarks including the Eiffel Tower, the Taj Mahal, the Pyramids, the Arc de Triomphe and the Leaning Tower of Pisa. The attraction contains more than 100 replicas spread across different themed areas.

It creates a rather amusing travel experience.

You could theoretically spend the morning in Paris, have lunch somewhere resembling India, photograph the Pyramids in the afternoon and finish the day in Italy.

Your passport will remain completely untouched.

If you have children with you, this can be particularly entertaining. And if you don’t have children, you can still enjoy it — just pretend you’re conducting serious architectural research.

4. OCT-LOFT — Where Old Factories Became Cool

OCT-LOFT Creative Culture Park
Photo credit: GreaterGo.

One of my favorite things about Shenzhen is that its modernity doesn’t always mean shiny skyscrapers.

At OCT-LOFT, an old industrial area has been transformed into a creative and cultural district featuring art spaces, design shops, cafés and restaurants. EYESHENZHEN describes the area as a former electronics-factory complex that has become a creative-industry hub.

This is the kind of neighborhood where you can wander without a strict itinerary.

Look at some art.

Drink coffee.

Take photographs.

Find a little shop.

Walk another 200 meters.

Find another café.

Eventually wonder why you are drinking coffee again.

That’s how travel works.

5. Dapeng Fortress — Shenzhen’s Unexpected History

Dapeng Fortress
Photo credit: Klook.

After all those futuristic skyscrapers, Dapeng Fortress provides a wonderful surprise.

The fortress was first built in 1394 during the Ming Dynasty as an important coastal-defense stronghold. Parts of its historic architecture, including the gate, walls and old residences, remain today.

Walking through its old streets feels completely different from central Shenzhen.

Suddenly the futuristic skyline seems very far away.

There are old walls, traditional buildings and narrow streets — a reminder that Shenzhen has a history considerably older than its modern reputation suggests.

This was also the point when I stopped complaining about not understanding Chinese characters.

The ancient walls weren’t exactly providing English translations either.

Fair enough.

6. OCT Harbour and Shenzhen Bay — Slow Down

OCT Harbour
Photo credit: EYESHENZHEN / Shenzhen Municipal sources.

Shenzhen can sometimes feel like it operates at 200 kilometers per hour.

That’s why places such as OCT Harbour are useful.

The waterfront area combines restaurants, shopping, entertainment, landscaped spaces and water features. Nearby Shenzhen Bay Park provides a long waterfront area where visitors can walk and enjoy views rather than rushing from one attraction to another.

And after a day of walking, climbing, photographing and trying to communicate with restaurant staff using hand gestures, sitting beside the water suddenly feels like a five-star spa treatment.

Even if you’re sitting on a bench.

7. Shekou Sea World — Dinner Beside a Ship

Another interesting place to explore is Shekou Sea World, a lively waterfront entertainment district built around the Minghua, a former cruise ship that is now permanently on land.

Restaurants, cafés, bars and entertainment venues surround the area, making it particularly attractive in the evening.

It is a good reminder that Shenzhen isn’t just about business towers.

The city knows how to relax too.

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The Food: Point, Hope and Eat

One of the great pleasures of Shenzhen is its food scene.

The city has attracted people from across China and around the world, so the culinary scene is remarkably diverse. The official Shenzhen foreign-resident guide describes the city as a melting pot with food representing different Chinese regional cuisines as well as international influences.

But the language issue returns at mealtimes.

Sometimes you recognize the food.

Sometimes you recognize the picture.

Sometimes you recognize absolutely nothing.

That’s when adventure begins.

I learned an important travel rule:

If it smells good, looks good and everyone else is eating it, there is a reasonable chance it will be fine.

Notice that I said reasonable.

Shenzhen: A City of Two Personalities

What surprised me most about Shenzhen was the contrast.

One moment you’re surrounded by skyscrapers, high-speed elevators, technology companies and enormous shopping centers.

The next you’re walking through an old fortress.

Then you’re drinking coffee in a converted factory.

Then you’re standing beside the sea.

Then you’re staring at a miniature Eiffel Tower and wondering how your trip to China somehow ended up in Paris.

That mixture is what makes Shenzhen such an interesting destination.

It is a city that looks forward while still leaving room for its past.

And yes, the language can occasionally be challenging.

But that’s part of the adventure.

You may not be able to pronounce the name of the restaurant.

You may accidentally order something you cannot identify.

You may spend ten minutes trying to explain to a taxi driver where you want to go using a combination of English, hand gestures and a phone screen.

But eventually you arrive.

You look around.

And you realize you’ve made it.

Welcome to Shenzhen — where the future is already under construction.