Nanshan & the West-Side Bay
A whole world in miniature in the morning, an old factory turned arts district, sunset over Shenzhen Bay, and a finish at the Sea World fountain plaza — the day that gathers up everything fun about modern Shenzhen into one zone.
Start the day at Window of the World, a theme park that shrinks more than 130 of the planet's landmarks into one site — a 108-metre Eiffel Tower as its icon, ringed by pyramids, the Taj Mahal, a leaning Pisa and a miniature Niagara Falls. It's good fun to photograph, kids love it and adults are happily diverted. The morning is cooler and easier on the legs than the afternoon, and 3 to 4 hours covers it. For the zones and shows, see the Window of the World guide.
The park sits on the west side of the city; the metro station of the same name lets you out right at the entrance. It makes an ideal start because it's next door to OCT-LOFT and the Happy Valley theme park (which we've saved for Day 3). Grab lunch in the OCT area before moving on.
In the afternoon, walk over to OCT-LOFT, a 1980s electronics factory reborn as a creative quarter — bare-brick buildings, galleries, indie cafés, bookshops and street art down every lane. It's a favourite of younger Shenzhen. Sit down for a coffee and rest your legs; read more in the OCT-LOFT guide and browse our pick of Shenzhen cafés.
Before evening, take the metro to Shenzhen Bay Park (深圳湾公园), a waterfront park stretching for kilometres along the bay, looking across to Hong Kong on a clear day. Locals come to cycle, run and watch the sunset — it's one of the prettiest free sights in the city. See the Shenzhen Bay Park guide.
Close the first day at Sea World, the most popular eating-and-drinking plaza in Shekou. The centrepiece is the old cruise ship Minghua (明华轮), permanently moored mid-plaza and surrounded by international restaurants, bars and pubs. Every evening there's a music fountain show, the jets choreographed to the music and lit up. It's where Shenzhen's expat crowd gathers after dark — find dinner here and watch the fountains close out the day.
The plaza buzzes late, and if you still have energy there are German beer halls nearby or a stroll over to Fisherman's Wharf. Read more in the Sea World Shekou guide.
