Shenzhen - our last stop in mainland China

Shenzhen was our last stop in mainland China, before we go to Macau. We arrived at about 9am after an uncomfortable overnight journey on the train.

Shenzhen is the richest city in China, it is one of the Special Ecomonic Zones set up by the Chinese government to try out market economics in the 1980s. That was when it was only a small town, now it is a city of 10 million people . It is a big division betwen rich . There are lots of Western food places to eat, we had a pizza hut meal for the 4th time in China, so Daniella could have the salad bar, as she was missing them after eating so many rice and noodles dishes which are so common here in China.

Shenzhen is located in the very south of Guangdong Province. Overlooking Hong Kong to the south and bordering Kowloon, this area is commonly referred to as Hong Kong’s “backyard”. Although the population of the city is about 5 million, only 1.5 million people are legally registered permanent residents. The remainder are a bizarre mixture of businessmen, investors and illegal immigrants, all here in an attempt to get a share in the Special Economic Zone’s wealth.

Although there can be no doubt that the SEZ is a huge financial and commercial success it is not a particularly charming or pleasant city. Businessmen and delegates from all over China regularly visit Shenzhen to see this economic success in action.

There are an abundance of hotels and other facilities catering to the business traveler which help to make a stay in Shenzhen more enjoyable. What’s more, the city is well located next to Hong Kong and a day trip to the big city for some culture is very convenient.

Shenzhen has its own unique political, economic and cultural norms and customs that differ from the rest of China. The Shenzhen municipal government exercises a relatively self-governed legislation and the incentives for investors are high.

The next day we met up with Wing Hei and Michael, and some of his family, and we enjoyed a luxurious few hours at the Carnival Club, a high end spa/Chinese bathhouse. We have visited others in China, but this was easily the most extravgant and luxurious. We relaxed with some foot and body massages, and also a bath in one of the numerous tubs . Afterwards they took us for a meal of the typical Guangdong region food, it was a true banquet with prawns, scallops, fish, other shellfish and chicken stew  -finished off with pancakes .

It is really a wonderful tour!       Attractions in Shenzhen