Getting around8 min read
APEC 2026 in Shenzhen: what visitors need to know
The leaders’ meeting is on 18 and 19 November. Road rules, half-price metro and visas for anyone visiting Shenzhen that week.
Read itField notes
Field notes on Shenzhen
Border crossings, payments, neighbourhoods and the people who live here. The things worth knowing before you arrive.
Neighbourhoods6 min read
Shenzhen Bay: where the city stops
Thirteen kilometres of waterfront with Hong Kong on the far side, and a liner in Shekou that has not been to sea since 1983. How we do the west coast.
Neighbourhoods6 min read
Futian: the Shenzhen that was planned
Shenzhen’s downtown was planned in the nineties and built to the plan. The plan is one straight line, and it is best walked at dusk.
Neighbourhoods4 min read
Dongmen: the Shenzhen that came first
Before the skyline there was Dongmen — pagoda roofs, snack streets, market floors. A walk through the old downtown, at the hour it wakes up.
By interest5 min read
Shenzhen after dark
Daylight is when Shenzhen works. At night the towers run light shows, the late tables fill up, and the markets keep going. An evening, done properly.
By interest6 min read
What Shenzhen actually eats
Nobody's grandmother is from Shenzhen. That is the best thing about eating here — the whole country cooks in one city. Where to start, dish by dish.
Getting around6 min read
Hong Kong to Shenzhen: which crossing to use
Six ways to cross from Hong Kong into Shenzhen, where each one drops you, and the one thing to sort out before you leave.