10 experiences families won't forget
Ordered by what children tend to remember longest — not just the prettiest photo stops.
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This is the headline of a kids' trip to Shenzhen — a large theme park in the OCT area, split into nine themed zones from Spanish Square to Cartoon City, Mount Adventure and Gold Mine Town. There are looping coasters for teenagers and a gentler zone where little ones ride with their parents. Crucially, in summer it has the Playa Maya water park, a Mayan-themed park built in (open roughly May to October) with water rides, a wave pool and a lazy river. Plan most of a day.
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The theme park where kids wander and photograph happily all day — it gathers the world's famous landmarks in miniature, from the Eiffel Tower and the Egyptian pyramids to the Taj Mahal and a Venice canal you can ride a gondola through. Younger children get a kick out of "going to France, Egypt and India in one day", there is a tram and a monorail to ride inside the park, and in the evening there are shows and lights. It is easy walking, with none of the ride anxiety of Happy Valley — good for a family with mixed ages.
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Right next to Window of the World — two parks in one. The first, Splendid China, gathers 1:1 replicas of China's landmarks, from the Great Wall to the Forbidden City and the Terracotta Army, so kids "tour the whole country in an afternoon". The second, the Folk Culture Village, has full-size replica villages of 27 ethnic minorities, with dazzling outdoor ethnic-dance and stage shows that leave children wide-eyed. There are several show times through the day — check the schedule before you go so you catch them.
On a rainy or scorching day, the aquarium is the answer — Xiaomeisha Sea World (reopened after a major refit) is a large marine park and aquarium in the east of the city, with a polar zone, a tropical zone, whales, dolphins and sea lions, plus animal shows young children love. It is a cool indoor day that fills most of a day. Honestly, it is a fair way from the centre, so make it part of an east-side day — it pairs nicely with Dameisha Beach.
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Here is a long seaside park where kids can cycle with the breeze the whole way — Shenzhen Bay Park in Nanshan is a multi-kilometre coastal promenade where you can rent bikes and scooters, with lawns to run on, spots to watch migrating birds, and best of all a view across the bay to the Hong Kong skyline that is lovely at sunset. The bonus is it is free and there are no queues to worry about, so it makes a relaxed afternoon and evening after a busy day. Note: it is a scenic park, not a swimming beach.
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Who would expect a tech city to have good beaches — Dameisha, in the east of Shenzhen, is a long free sandy beach where kids build sandcastles and paddle in the shallows of the marked swimming zone. There are lifeguards on duty, showers, toilets and food stalls, and you can rent umbrellas and beach chairs. Honestly, weekends are very busy (numbers hit the tens of thousands a day), so go on a weekday if you can — it is far more comfortable. It pairs neatly with the Xiaomeisha aquarium on the same side of the city.
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For an easy evening with less walking, these two are the answer — OCT-LOFT is a quarter of old warehouses turned into cafes, art galleries and cute shops, with open squares for kids to run and somewhere for the parents to sit with a coffee. Over in Shekou, Sea World has a musical fountain plaza kids love to watch, the old Minghua ship as a landmark, and international restaurants ringing the square. A comfortable evening the whole family can enjoy.
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A park in the heart of Futian where kids can run loose with no traffic to dodge. The highlight is the wide plaza on the hilltop where people fly kites — on a breezy day it fills with colourful kites that children love. From the summit you also get a fine view of the Ping An tower and the Futian skyline, plus broad lawns, flower gardens and shady paths. Entry is free, it makes a relaxed morning or afternoon for younger children, and it sits right by the metro.
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Kids who love heights will love this — the Ping An Finance Center is one of the tallest buildings in China, with the Free Sky observation deck on floor 116 at about 541 m, and the all-round city view is the kind that thrills children. You can see Futian, the theme parks, and on a clear day across to Hong Kong. It is a good indoor activity when it is hot or raining, takes about an hour, and is best in the late afternoon for both the daytime view and the city lights.
The best news for families is that Shenzhen is in Guangdong, the home of dim sum and of mild, balanced Cantonese cooking — not spicy, and easy for children to eat almost anything. Going for yum cha (tea and dim sum) in the morning or at lunch is a family event in itself, and kids get to choose their own baskets — prawn har gow, pork siu mai, char siu buns, baked chicken feet, egg tarts and a bowl of hot congee that is perfect for little ones. Because Shenzhen is a city of migrants from all over China, there are restaurants from every region and plenty in the malls with high chairs. It is a meal the whole family enjoys together.