Travel Guide: Shenzhen, China
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Now, onto Shenzhen — a city I wish someone had warned me about.
About Shenzhen, China: A City Made for Office Workers
Shenzhen is often marketed as the Silicon Valley of China. It’s where the country’s tech boom exploded in the ’80s after becoming a special economic zone, and now it’s home to massive companies like Tencent and DJI. Bordering Hong Kong, it’s a modern metropolis built in record time — with futuristic skyscrapers, vast office parks, and… a baffling number of malls.
I came here expecting innovation, sleek robotics demos, and a peek behind the curtain of China’s hardware capital. What I got was construction noise at 9 p.m. on a Sunday night and an electronics mall full of off-brand smartwatches and knockoff AirPods that cost more than they do on American Amazon.
Things to Know About Traveling to Shenzhen, China
If you’re coming here hoping to:
Fill a suitcase with affordable drones and gadgets?
Marvel at mind-blowing robotics?
Have a culinary awakening?
You’re likely going to be disappointed.
Here’s the real deal:
Skip the electronics malls. Huaqiangbei sounds legendary online, but in person? It’s five floors of copy-paste plastic parts and overpriced knockoffs. If you want cheap tech, American Amazon (with reviews!) is still the winner — especially with cashback perks if you have Amazon’s no-fee credit card that gives you a percentage back with every Amazon and Whole Foods purchase (easily the best credit card I have in my arsenal.)
No, there aren’t self-driving cars everywhere. Despite the hype, I didn’t see anything here more futuristic than what’s already in San Francisco. No waymos here! Maybe the self-driving cars are hiding or not rolled out for the public here, yet, but overall I was hoping to see more high-tech products.
The museums are… interesting. We went to the free Shenzhen history museum hoping to learn how the city became a tech giant — but instead found exhibits blaming all of China’s past woes on foreign interference. Not exactly the nuanced overview we were hoping for.
The city is extremely spread out. Getting anywhere takes forever. There’s no real center. It feels like someone scattered a bunch of office parks across an empty grid and called it a city.
Where to Stay in Shenzhen
We were originally booked at the ICON hotel, which looked beautiful online — until the construction symphony started blasting outside our window. At 9pm. On a Sunday. We bailed and moved to another hotel that was just… fine. And in a forgettable area. So I won’t bother linking either.
Shenzhen has plenty of hotel options, but none I experienced felt special enough to recommend. If you do go, stay near the Futian or Nanshan districts to be closer to anything worth doing (and cut down on metro time).
Places I Didn’t Go — But You Might Want To
To be fair, we didn’t hit every spot. Here’s what we skipped — and what might make Shenzhen more worthwhile for you:
OCT Loft Creative Culture Park — supposedly a trendy, artsy zone with indie cafés and art galleries. If Shenzhen has soul, this might be it.
Dafen Oil Painting Village — famous for mass-produced Van Gogh replicas, but also a place to watch painters at work and maybe find something original.
Window of the World — a theme park with miniature versions of global landmarks. Could be fun if you’re into kitsch or have kids.
Shenzhen Bay Park — a long seaside promenade that’s supposed to be scenic at sunset. We were too burnt out from malls to make it here.
Overall Thoughts on Shenzhen
Shenzhen felt like a city still trying to decide what it wants to be. It’s shiny but soulless. Dense but disjointed. Innovative in theory, but underwhelming in practice. If you’re traveling China and choosing between cities, I’d say:
Go to Beijing for history.
Go to Shanghai for style.
Go to Chongqing for chaos (the good kind).
Go to Shenzhen if you’re… doing business here. Or want to take the 15-minute train from here to Hong Kong.
Otherwise? Pass.
Want to Become a Writer and Travel the World?
All that said — I’m still wildly grateful I can travel like this, even when the destination flops. Because when you build a freelance writing career the right way, you can book a last-minute refund, reroute your plans, and keep moving.
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