Nanshan

This is one of China's biggest and most splendid temples to Tianhou, also known as Mazu, the Goddess of Heaven who guards over sailors and fishermen. It was founded in the early fifteenth century by the famous eunuch admiral Zheng He who, during one of his voyages of discovery, was saved from shipwreck here during a typhoon by the intercession of Tianhou, this despite the fact that Zheng He was a Muslim. It has been restored many times during its lifetime, most recently during the 1980s after the ravages of the Cultural Revolution. At one time it was the biggest temple to Tianhou in existence. It is built in the style of the Ming Dynasty (14th to 17th centuries) and is a magnificent example of this style. The buildings have lovely sky-blue roofs and inside some of them are exhibitions about Tianhou and Chinese maritime history.

This is putatively the tomb of the last Emperor of the Southern Song Dynasty (d. 1279). There is little doubt that he died in this general area after fleeing from the Mongols who had taken the dynastic capital Hangzhou. Modern knowledge of the tomb dates back to the latter years of the 19th century when the Zhao (Cantonese Chiu) Clan of Hong Kong (Zhao was the Song Imperial surname) researched the tomb and declared it to be in Chiwan near the great Tianhou Temple. Certainly there are folk tales of the Emperor's demise current in the Chiwan area and very large numbers of people claiming Imperial descent in the district. But the claims remain debatable. The tomb was restored in the early 20th century and subsequently fell into disrepair. It was rediscovered by a military cook during the Cultural Revolution but left alone. The Shenzhen City Government further restored it in the 1980s. It is in the form of a normal Chinese upper class tomb and the focus of much popular devotion.

This is the original county town for the county which used to encompass Hong Kong and Shenzhen. There has been a town on this site since the 4th century. Much of the old town has been demolished and replaced by residential buildings in the "urban village" style, but Xin'an has still maintained the flavour of a Cantonese town throughout the ages with vibrant street life along narrow streets. The Ming Dynasty wall and gate remain magnificently preserved as do the Guan Yu Temple outside the gates, the naval and civil headquarters, a silver shop, an opium den, and a Qing dynasty government building. If you can find it, visit the 18th century "Flower Street" or street of brothels, a narrow alley with an 18th-century official stele denouncing the evils of prostitution. Just outside the town (to the southwest, near the temple) is an archeological museum. The various well-preserved buildings have information about the area's history, but almost all of it is in Chinese, though the museum has a booklet with information in English if you ask.

Chiwan was one of the prime defensive spots on the Pearl River. The Chiwan Fort was divided into two parts, the Left Fort and the Right Fort. Originally they had twelve gun positions but now only the Left Fort is in any reasonable degree of repair. Perched on Ying Zui Mountain, at over 160 m (500 feet) above the Pearl River, they commanded a full field of fire. Their failure to make any impression on British ships as they entered the Pearl was one of the first great disasters of the Opium War. There's not much left of the Left Fort besides a single cannon and stone walls overgrown with banyan trees, though there is also a statue of Lin Zexu, the Viceroy of the Two Guangs, whose decision to try to destroy the opium trade was one of the factors leading to the Opium War.

Shenzhen housing developments are often built around beautiful tropical gardens with luxurious club house amenities and one of the most famous of these is Portofino. It is built around a surprisingly attractive imitation of an Italian Piazzetta along a lake which has cafes, bars and restaurants without outdoor seating. Shenzhen's best Cantonese restaurant chain, Laurel, justly famed for the quality of its dim sum, has a branch with outdoor seating here. Be sure to be early. Sunday morning dim sum queues are long.

A shopping/entertainment complex full of foreign restaurants, which has nothing to do with the US marine animal park. In 1984 Shekou was booming and there was a serious shortage of accommodation. To deal with this, the cruise ship "Ming Hua" (commissioned in 1962 in France) was moored alongside the dock and used as a floating hotel and restaurant. Only nine years before it had been the focus of a political typhoon during the movement which saw Deng Xiaoping sent for the second time into political limbo. No wonder that he was happy to write an inscription in his own handwriting, "Sea World", a facsimile of which now presides in neon over the ship. The land has now been reclaimed for half a mile beyond the ship which now sits in a shallow pool. But the attractive square in front of the ship is surrounded by restaurants and coffee shops designed to evoke foreign lands like Europe, and successfully so, with the result that it's very popular among Shenzhen's expats. Various foreign restaurants like Turkish or Brazilian which are always considered rare anywhere in SZ. Bars are also numerous.

A small museum with exhibits on marine biology.

Travel around the world in one day. This 480,000-m² park has a beautiful natural landscapes and wonderful lighting at night. Inside, you can climb the 1:3 scale Eiffel Tower, go inside the Egyptian Pyramids, see the Leaning Tower of Pisa, Taj Mahal, Grand Canyon, Niagara Falls, Mount Fuji, the Buckingham Palace and other famous landmarks. Inside Mount Fuji there's an amusement ride called Fast Fuji, where you snowboard down Mount Fuji and the chairs move with the movie. Inside Mount Rushmore there's also an amusement ride which is similar to Fast Fuji, and its name is Flying Over America, where you see the landmarks of the US on a floating chair. Every night there are spectacular dance shows based on themes of Chinese and world history. Hundreds of dancers perform on the enormous outdoor stage. The performance finishes with a procession and fireworks at 21:00.

It combines two different sections. The first part is a miniature park of China. You can find the famous Forbidden City, Terracotta Soldiers, Tibet Potala Palace, Huangshan Mountains, Yunnan's Stone Forest, and of course the Great Wall of China. This miniature park covers 300,000 m², fully forested with beautiful greenery and flowers. The second part consists of dozens of houses, temples, yurts, and so on, each representing one of the 56 ethnic groups in China, such as Miao, Yi, Bai, Mongol and Uyghur. You can find here real people, culture, fashion, customs, religion, language and food. As with all the Shenzhen theme parks, plenty of people go just for the fixed exhibits but main attractions are the shows. Uyghur women twirl to Turkish music, Miaos dance, a miniskirted Ming Dynasty troupe performs electronic versions of Ming music and dance—not to mention the acrobats. There is even a Tibetan rock band. The special effects are also amazing and it involves using laser to create an animated light tunnel. A Mongol horse battle held daily, just follow the smell of horse manure. Altogether the park is huge; between the shows and the exhibits it can easily be an all-day activity.

A classic fun park. It is a lot bigger than Hong Kong Disneyland and many would say a lot better. Divided into theme areas it has the usual fun rides. Try the flume ride but be prepared to get wet. The Playa Maya is an excellent water park built around a Maya architectural theme. There are shows all day and well into the night.

Billed as a safari park where the animals stare at the humans. It is dirty and disorganised, but children may like it.

This is a more or less middle-brow theatre specialising in musical theatre and often hosting Russian Army theatre troupes. The futuristic silver egg-shaped building alone makes it worth a visit.

The library's main branch is on Changxing Road. There are also seven smaller branches.

A forested hill with hiking trails. The peak (大南山 Dà Nánshān) is 336 meters high and the trails are mostly stairs, so this is a reasonably challenging hike. Plan about 2–3 hours round trip if you're a strong hiker, or longer if you want to explore more of the trails. The park is quiet, without many hikers, and on a clear day the peak has lovely views of the city, the water, and Hong Kong's New Territories.

Shenzhen's oldest park. It was established in 1925 to honour the memory of Sun Yat-sen (Sun Zhongshan).

A smaller hill for hiking. The trailheads are not easy to find—there are several roads around the hill that look like they might go to a trailhead but actually don't.

A big green forested mountain between Nanshan and Futian, crisscrossed by a huge network of trails. Wildlife on the tree-covered slopes includes butterflies, ferns, lychees, several endangered plants, and lots of birds, especially near the trailhead. Expect lots of stairs, as usual in Shenzhen, but also plenty of benches to rest. The 432-meter peak has great views of the skyscrapers in Nanshan and Futian, the mountains of Hong Kong's New Territories, and Shenzhen Bay. The main paths up to the peak get a good number of visitors, but the other trails are pretty empty. No food or drinks for sale on the trails, so bring everything you need with you.

Actually a long series of connected parks on reclaimed land along the coast of Shenzhen Bay, stretching from the Shenzhen Bay Bridge all the way to the mangrove forest park in Futian. Attractively landscaped and well maintained with lovely walking paths along the water, a nice place for a stroll or a bike ride. The most popular section seems to be Talent Park (人才公园 Réncái Gōngyuán), which has beautifully manicured flower gardens and an amphitheater with occasional performances. On the natural side of things you can see mangrove trees, and from January to March lots of migrating birds including egrets, ducks, swallows, gulls, and stilts. Occasional piers let you take in the views of Nanshan's skyline and the New Territories in Hong Kong across the bay.

Another favorite with the locals. It has 27 holes plus a nine hole night course under lights. Gary Player designed the course.

This is a private club owned and managed by the Kuok family of Shangri-La fame. You will need an invitation to play here. It is worth getting it.

Skating, skiing, and snow tubing. The skating rink has irregular shape. The ski slope is quite short and not very steep, but there is a lift to take you up. Snowboarding/skiing equipment and clothing can be rented (expect to leave a deposit). The sledding slope is great for children. It is quite cold inside even in hot weather.

English-speaking technology tours in Nanshan. The 2.5-hour "Inside Shenzhen Technology" route covers robotaxi, drone delivery, Chinese EV displays, Huawei technology and robotics at Inno100. Private and shared Small Group formats meet in Shenzhen. Small Group uses up to five guests per guide, with additional guides for larger departures. DJI visits are not included.