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Travel Around the World-Touring in Shenzhen Part 2

Following the last article on traveling in Shenzhen, I will start with introducing the seaside in Shenzhen. Shenzhen is a coastal city, and it has many beaches, such as Dameisha, Dapeng seashore, etc. They are mainly located in the southeast of Shenzhen, an island called Nanao. It is about a forty-minute drive from the city. During summer time, people like to spend a weekend in a nice little homestay hotel by the beach, having seafood barbecue while enjoying the breeze.

  1. Seaside

One of the seaside at the east part of Nanao is called YangMeiKeng.

YangMeiKeng beach courtesy of www.nipic.com

It is less well-known than other seasides while it has fantastic views, which is often used as a place for shooting wedding photo or film. Yangmei is the Chinese translation for berry, and Keng stands for the pit. They are inspired by the hill that is filled with berries. The river that is connected to the sea is crystal clear. The stones that are on the edge of the river are with the pointed angle or with different shapes. You can see the newlyweds have the photoshoot, standing at the edge of the stones and taking their vow.

Wedding photo courtesy of Xuan Chen

There are three major activities that most people do here. First, you can choose to book a yacht for a group of 10 and go fishing – they also provide fly fishing pontoon to people who love solo fishing, open a party or do sailing for a group of 7. The Intrepid website will offer you the best selection of powerboats. make sure to bring sunglasses for water sports with you in case you want to go fishing.

Sailing boats courtesy of bbs.tianya.com

Some people choose to go hiking. You will start from Dongchong, crosses the Dayanding and arrives in YangMeiKeng. The total trip is about 7 miles, where you will see the overview of the Dapeng Bay. The most popular activity is biking along the beach.

Biking courtesy of Mafengwo.com

The four people bike is an attractive option. I once tried it with friends. The first person in the front needs to navigate, and it takes time to experiment and finally to keep balance. The ride will lead you to the Deer Mouth Height, which includes cliffs, rock hills, and rock caves. Trying out the seafood here is another must-do option. The traditional dishes are deep fried fish, crabs and scallops, steamed oysters and seasoned shrimps, etc

2. Night view/life

Shenzhen- a city that never sleeps. Similar to the major city in the States, people do various activities at night. The majority of people living in Shenzhen are young people, who go to work at eight and get done around 6. Working out after dinner is becoming a trend. The Shenzhen Bay Park, located in the Baoan district, on the west side of the city and close to Hong Kong.

Shenzhen Bay courtesy of blog.sina.com

It has a six-mile bike route and a mangrove forest. To run or bike at the park is an option because you get to see the newly built commercial districts, sports center and a part of Hong Kong. The night view is extraordinary. The Shenzhen Bay bridge which connects Shenzhen with Hong Kong is brightly lit at night.

After the nice walk around the bay, going out to a jazz bar or whiskey bar at the Coco Park is another option. Coco Park is a shopping center, located in the Futian district. It contains multiple restaurants, entertainment and leisure activities.

Shenzhen Cocopark courtesy of mt.sohu.com

One-fourth of the shopping center is outdoors, where you can breathe in fresh air after dining or shopping. The first floor of Coco Park consists of bars. Shark Fine Wine & Dine is one of them.

Shark Fine Wine and Dine courtesy of shenzhenparty.com

It is special since it features different selections of wines from 8 different countries and cuisine made by Michelin-Star chefs. There are also sports bars and bars with DJs.

Another place for night bars is the Sea World, located in the Nanshan district.

The Sea World courtesy of dp.pconline.com.cn

It is similar to the inner harbor in Baltimore, which contains a large cruise. Since the location is near the Shenzhen Bay, this place is popular for foreigners. It has the international bars street and tons of restaurants. I had a frozen yogurt there which has a similar taste with the one in Iowa City. Rama Club is unique since it is decorated as an exquisite Thai garden.

Rama Club entrance courtesy of shenzhenparty.com

It has different Buddha figures all over the courtyard. Come enjoy a cocktail and have a slice of pizza surrounded by the cultural relics.

3.Food

In Shenzhen, you can taste a variety of food from different cities in China since it is an immigrant city. The dish range from the local Cantonese cuisine(South) to mid or northwest Chinese cuisine, Korean, Japanese, South Asian and American food. You cannot miss the Cantonese food, Yuecai, because it is probably the most authentic one you can get.

Jade Garden, located at the Yitian Holiday Plaza is famous for the Cantonese Dimsum. Food is good in its look and the taste. You cannot miss the steamed shrimp dumplings, pan fried pork dumplings (serve with soup) and lobster cream soup with puff pastry, etc.

Pastries courtesy of dianping.com
Dumplings courtesy of dianping.com

Shigonghui, located in the Futian district, is a place for traditional seafood. The restaurant is in the large scare, where people would sit at large round table, talk while eat. The service is fast-paced since a lot of people are in line. Dishes we usually order are roast pigeons, abalones, and scallops with minced garlic. It might be exotic to people who are not familiar with seafood, but they will not regret to try them. The freshness and flavor of the dishes are the key to success.

Steamed scallops with minced garlic courtesy of dianping.com
Roast pigeon courtesy of dianping.com

4.Afternoon tea

Shenzhen is also full of bakeries, café, and the specialty- milk tea place. Growing up in Shenzhen, we cannot resist the fruit flavor tea and milk tea in any seasons. If you also are a fan of tea, get a tea subscription so you can taste new flavors.

Heekcaa, located at different shopping centers in Shenzhen. It offers all kinds of tea from cheese tea, fresh fruit tea, etc. It is better than other tea stores because of the richness of the tea. They use tea base from Taiwan, North India and mix them with ice and milk.

Making milk tea courtesy of Souhu.com
Making milk tea courtesy of Sohu.com
  1. A website made by a local English newspaper for foreigners who live or visit Shenzhen: Eyeshen
  2. This is a useful website for things to do in Shenzhen including events, places, apartments, language study: Shenzhenparty.com
  3. A useful traveling tool  in Shenzhen for reviews and tips: tripadvisor
  4. There are six major metro lines in Shenzhen that is convenient for visitors. You can find schedule and stops to take: SZM

My first part of the city guide: Travel around the World: touring in Shenzhen Part 1

This monthly column will cover my traveling experience, my reflection of the local culture, people and food in different locations.