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Shenzhen, China
Photo: ik, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons
Eastern Shenzhen has some of the best of Shenzhen's nature, including beaches and mountains, dotted with Hakka villages and other historic sites.
From the travel guide. Select a place for details, a map and what is nearby.
大芬油画村; Dàfēn Yóuhuà Cūn
In 1988, a Hong Kong businessman called Wong Kong, who had a business specialising in reproduction art, decided that there was no future in Hong Kong and set up in Dafen, even though it was not in the SEZ. Soon he was joined by artists from all over China, some classically trained but many just talented amateurs fresh from the paddy fields. And so Dafen was born. It is set in what was once a Hakka village and consists of street after street of studios, galleries, and shops selling oil paintings, watercolors, and embroidered paintings. Examine things carefully, as some of the artwork is machine printed, rather than hand made. Much of it is rubbish but some of China's best artists also have studios in Dafen. For a few hundred yuan you can commission an artist to copy your favorite piece of art, your wedding photo, or photos of your family. Insist on "A" quality - it costs a little more but it's worth it. You can also get incredibly rapid framing while you wait and inexpensive art supplies. Drink tea with an artist in their studio, or learn a bit of Chinese calligraphy from an expert. There is also a handsome modern gallery exhibiting works by Dafen local painters.
和畅园博物馆
A private art museum specialising in paintings, calligraphy and ceramics.
东江纵队纪念馆, East River Column Memorial Museum
A museum devoted to telling the story of the Dongjiang Column, a column of Guangdong-based Communist guerrila fighters who fought the Japanese in World War Two. All information is in Chinese only.
深圳中医药博物馆, 龙岗区中医药博物馆 Longgang District Museum of Traditional Chinese Medicine
深圳自然博物馆
Officially opened in July 2026, this is now the largest natural history museum in the South China region.
大鹏所城; Dàpéng Suǒchéng
Dapeng Fort is an amazingly well-preserved Ming Dynasty Fort. Founded in 1394, it shared with various other forts the duties of guarding the entrances to the Pearl River and was prominent in the defense of the river during the Opium War. It is extremely well preserved and undergoing restoration as a museum. The old buildings in the adjacent village have been turned into shops selling souvenirs, food, and clothes, and nearby is a popular beach and a huge Buddhist temple (东山寺; Dōngshān Sì).
Crane Lake Fortified Hakka Village, 龙岗街道客家民俗博物馆, 鹤湖新居
Half of Shenzhen City was originally of Hakka ethnicity. This came about after the 17th-century Kangxi Emperor depopulated the coastline to a depth of 30 km as part of his campaign against Ming loyalists in Taiwan. When the coast was repopulated, the Hakka (descendants of 13th-century immigrants from north China) were quickest to come. Relations between the Hakka and the Cantonese were often strained. During the 19th century, half a million people lost their lives in civil strife between the Hakka and the Cantonese. Accordingly, most Hakka settlements of any size were heavily fortified. The most common form of fortification in southern China is the "wei" (围 wéi) and one of the biggest of them anywhere is the Crane Lake Wei in Longgang. It doubles as a semi-open-air museum of Hakka culture, which is very quiet without too many visitors, maybe because it's located way out in Shenzhen's suburbs.
大万世居 Dàwànshìjū
Another well-preserved and enormous Hakka wei. It is of a similar scale to the Crane Lake wei, but pretty run down and without as many informative signs. Still, an interesting look at traditional Hakka life in what is now Shenzhen.
甘坑客家小镇 Gānkēng Kèjiā xiǎo zhèn
Another Hakka town with lots of traditional buildings: walk down the old narrow alleys, see the museums of household tools and artifacts, go inside the huge round house on the hill with views overlooking the town, and sample Hakka cuisine from various shops and restaurants.
东部华侨城
An amusement park built by the same company that brought you Window of the World. Located on the mountainside behind the Dameisha beach neighborhood, it features thrill rides, shows, a water park, and a replica of a European town, not to mention beautiful views of the mountains, forest, and ocean. To reach all the different rides or attractions, be prepared to climb a lot of stairs or escalators, as well as gondolas and funicular railways (included in the price of your ticket). There are a few themed hotels.
The park is divided into two main sections: Knight Valley (大峡谷) and Tea Stream Valley (茶溪谷), with separate tickets. There's also a Buddhist temple, Huaxing Temple (大华兴寺), but if you've been to other temples in Shenzhen it can be skipped without missing much. And there's a good golf club on the hilltop called Wind Valley Golf. Be warned that if it rains, the roller coasters, gondolas, and funiculars all stop running. If you get stranded at the top of the mountain as a result, the park will arrange cars to take you back down. Food in the park is reasonably tasty but a little overpriced.
大鹏半岛国家地质公园, Dapeng Peninsula National Geological Park
There is a geological museum at the entrance to the park, displaying lots of different rocks, minerals, and fossils, mostly from China with a focus on Guangdong. The museum's information panels are mostly bilingual in Chinese and English, and nearby are trailheads for hikes into the park. The park is open all day; the museum is open Tu-F 09:30 to 16:00, Sa Su 09:30-17:00, closed on Mondays.
七娘山 Qīniáng Shān
The second tallest mountain in Shenzhen, at 867.4 meters.
龙岗高尔夫
This course was the brainchild of a former official of the Shenzhen Government who wanted to bring golf to the masses. It is as an eighteen-hole 72 par course, situated on rolling hills in the Longgang District. The founders of the course wanted to keep green fees at 20-30% of commercial golf courses.
东部华乔城高尔夫
Shenzhen's newest and poshest golf course. It has two 18-hole courses, each with its own luxury clubhouse. Set in spectacular mountains overlooking Dameisha and Mirs Bay.
世纪海景高尔夫求会
An 18-hole PGA golf course set in beautiful mountain and sea surroundings near Nan'ao Town, Dapeng Peninsula.
大梅沙
The most well-known beach in Shenzhen. Easily accessible from downtown, but it's often crowded and the water is dirty.
小梅沙
Close to Dameisha. Also crowded and the water is also dirty. Especially avoid going on the weekends and during summer vacation (July and August).
背仔角 Bèizǎijiǎo
A small beach, a few hundred meters long, not far past Dameisha and Xiaomeisha, but less developed, less crowded, and cleaner.
金沙湾
From Shenzhen take one of several buses (e.g. 364, E11, or H92) to Dapeng Station (大鵬站) in Wangmu (王母虛) Village in Dapeng. Then you can take a quick shuttle bus south to JinSha Beach. Entry is ¥10. On weekends and holidays the beach can be quite crowded. The sand is rather coarse and not particularly clean, but it can be fun to go here and people watch. Also it is interesting that you can look out and see East Ping Chau (東平洲) island just two miles off the coast, which is part of Hong Kong's New Territories.
桔钓沙 Júdiàoshā
水头沙 Shuǐtóushā
西冲海滩
Beautiful Xichong beach is far from the downtown core, well past Dameisha. Less developed, this beach is much more peaceful and clean than other beaches in Shenzhen. Visit Sun Sailing for watersports or local fine dining.
海港路
Way out on Dapeng Peninsula, famous for fresh seafood with bay views. Sea urchin is a specialty.
盐田海鲜街
Dine among the container cranes. The theme is Hong Kong style seafood, allegedly fresh from the markets next door. Seafood Street itself, right on the water near the port, has several middle-to-high-end seafood restaurants—you choose the fish from the tanks, they cook it how you like it: oysters, clams, crab, fish, eel, shrimp, snails.... If you're on a budget or not in the mood for fish, there are various other restaurants on the perpendicular Beishan Road (北山道 Běishān Dào). On the way, enjoy views of one of the world's busiest container ports, and of the green mountains behind it. You might spot people fishing too.
Good quality rooms. Number of restaurant options in the hotel and in the nearby streets.
深圳书城龙岗城
The Longgang branch of Book City, Shenzhen's local chain of large bookstores. Look for a big red building.
Metro lines 3 and 10 stretch pretty far into Longgang, line 8 provide connections to Yantian, and lines 14 and 16 provide convenient services to Pingshan, but for Dapeng, you're stuck with buses or cars.
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