If you have ever ordered an Apple product, odds are that the place of origin on your devices shipping receipt is Shenzhen, China. It also happens that this is the closest city in China to get to from Hong Kong, so we decided to take a day trip and check it out. Shenzhen is a financial and manufacturing hub, strategically located across the border with Hong Kong in order to maximize economic and trade benefits. It has grown significantly over the last two decades, and as a result, the city is very modern and vibrant. To get there from Hong Kong, it’s a two hour ride on the subway (MTR) from Hung Hom Station right to the border.
This side trip is a good example of where tour companies can come in handy. Canadians require a visa to enter China, and you typically need to apply for one before hand, (which we didn’t) but if you book with a tour company they will get you a day visa for entry. Tours typically include your transportation, meals and entry to exhibits, but the down side is you’re stuck on the tour, and they typically squeeze in some sort of forced shopping event.
The subway ride from Hung Hom to the border provides some really cool views heading out of town and through the sprawling suburbs. When you arrive at the last stop, you disembark into the train station and walk across a narrow river bridge that separates Hong Kong and China. Once we cleared through Immigration we were loaded onto our bus and headed to the Shenzhen Museum.
The museum itself is a somewhat nondescript building, but located downtown on beautiful grounds. There were some interesting exhibits at the museum, and good information on local history, but it lacked a feeling of richness and depth. I was expecting more antiquities and history, but I think it reflects the fact that Shenzhen is so young and has grown so quickly as an economic hub that the real exhibit is the city itself.
Following the museum we made the mandatory stop at a local jewelry store. This isn’t uncommon on guided tours, and it’s my major turn off from using them. Once there we were funnelled in, listened to the pitch and then were left to shop; or in my case, pace the isles with an increasing sense of claustrophobia. My wife has more pleasant memories of this experience that include being served green tea and a horse statue from the Terracotta Warrior exhibit, but I think my memory is skewed from the feeling of being confined. I am clearly not a shopper, and inevitably, there is always someone in the group who wants to haggle for whatever trinket has caught their eye, with some misguided belief that they’re going to get a steal of a deal, while everyone else is held hostage to the insane back and forth negotiation playing out for all to hear. Just when you think it’s almost over, they say “can I see that one over there”, and it starts all over again, while I move one step closer to losing my mind. I can’t even remember leaving, but I sure remember every painful moment of being there.
By this point you’re thinking that sounds like a crappy trip, and I get that, but here’s where it gets good. From the obligatory shopping trip we went for lunch at a local hotel. We ate dim sum as a group, and it was one of the best meals I have ever had. The sampling of food was beautifully presented and sumptuous, I dare say, worth every minute trapped in the jewelry store.
Prior to finishing lunch my wife lovingly lectured the three of us to make sure we took advantage of the restrooms prior to heading out. This was due to a surprise earlier in the week when we discovered that public rest rooms are the traditional squat toilets, and not the western design we’re used to. Not the end of the world, but it’s one of those unexpected, learn in the moment type of experiences. As a quick travel tip, handicap stalls are typically western style if you want to avoid popping a squat.
After lunch, we had a choice of heading to the local shopping mall, or taking in one of three theme parks. We chose to go to the Splendid China Folk Village. This turned out to be a great choice as we were the only ones who elected to go there. It’s a 30 hectare property consisting of gardens, walking paths and exhibits. They have miniature models of some of Chinas best known sites, such as the Terracotta Warriors and the Forbidden City, and the kids had a blast walking around the grounds and seeing the tiny exhibits; it was also great not being confined to the tour group.
Driving from site to site turned out to be one of the most memorable experiences that day. It was fascinating to witness the dichotomy between the busy city streets, beautiful architecture and luxury cars, versus the sights of street vendors, labourers and workers pulling carts overloaded with lumber, cardboard or plastics weaving in and out of traffic. I was left with the real sense that Shenzhen is a city on the move; a hive of activity that is feeding the global economy.
If you are planning to take this side trip, make sure you exchange some money ahead of time. The Chinese currency is called the “Yuan”, or “Renminbi”. I found that there were a few times it would have been nice to have some cash on hand, and Hong Kong Dollars are not widely accepted in Shenzhen.
At the end of the day we regrouped at the Luohu Train Station and headed back through Customs to the Hong Kong side for the train ride back to Hung Hom Station. If you’ve read the rest of my posts, you’re probably thinking this wasn’t the best of trips, but for me, I left inspired to want to travel more in China. The city was beautiful, the people friendly, and the exhibits at Splendid China Folk Village made me realize how much there was to see and do in China, so I will definitely be back…..but not on a guided tour, and definitely no jewelry stores!
