If you’re thinking about going to China, give Shenzhen a miss and go to Shanghai.  It’s definitely not worth visiting if you’re flying long haul and even if you’re coming to Hong Kong and thinking about visiting Shenzhen, I’d give that a second thought because like a lot of cities in China, it’s rather dull with not a lot of redeeming features or qualities. Yep, there’s a few theme parks but they’re pretty tacky and again like most China cities, extremely crowded, noisy and not a very pleasant day out.  I can’t really think of a single reason I’d suggest someone to go to Shenzhen, other than golf and shopping, and even those aren’t that great.

I guess if you were visiting Hong Kong for over 8 days and wanted something different to do, you could head over there, but it’s not really a place you go to see anything in particular.  For locals in Hong Kong, most people only go there to play golf or buy cheap or fake stuff, or to find a factory to build or make something cheaply.  The traffic can be horrendous, the immigration at the Hong Kong-Shenzhen border can be a nightmare, and I really can’t think of a single reason to go there.

If you’ve read any of my other posts on cities in China you’ll know I’m not a fan but it’s not just me, China hasn’t done much to endear itself to tourism and the Beijing Olympics were filled with negative press and endless horror stories. If you’re from Europe or North America and are looking for a taste of Asia, there are much better places to go than Shenzhen.  If you must visit China, then go to Shanghai.

Check out our information pages for things to do in Shenzhen, what to do in Shenzhen with kids, and more.

Send us any questions or comments you have about Shenzhen via email or ask us on twitter.