Chaoshan beef hotpot
潮汕牛肉火锅 · 八合里牛肉火锅
Hand-cut fresh beef, dipped for seconds. Baheli opened its first store outside Shantou near Nanyuan Road, Shenzhen, in 2014.
China › Shenzhen · Live now
Eat, move and explore Shenzhen honestly.
What to eat, how to pay, which border to use, and Chinese cards you can show a driver. Written by Honestly China editors: official sources first, restaurant names only after a dated visit.
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Most asked about Shenzhen
Start with the honest questions
First day in Shenzhen
Four things to know before you land.
Last checked 12 November 2026. Rules change, so every update is dated and sourced. Shenzhen essentials → China essentials →
01
Tap your bank card on the metro
Since 10 Sep 2026, every gate on all 17 lines (432 stations) takes contactless Visa, Mastercard, UnionPay, Amex and JCB. Make sure contactless is on.
Shenzhen metro guide →02
Alipay & WeChat Pay: mind the 3%
With a foreign card linked, single payments over ¥200 carry a 3% fee. This applies nationwide.
Set them up, step by step →03
Coming from Hong Kong?
Luohu, Futian and Shenzhen Bay can’t be used to enter on the 240-hour visa-free transit. Other options exist.
Which border, which rule →04
Maps: use Amap, or a card
Use Amap (高德地图), or just show the driver a Chinese address card. Google Maps is the wrong primary map.
Amap and translation →Explore Shenzhen
Everything, neatly sorted.
Eat, stay, do and local essentials, broken down by cuisine, district, budget and occasion.
What to eat, by district
Shenzhen’s plate, mapped.
Chinese names you can point at, which district to find them in, and what makes each one worth the trip.
Browse all of Eat →
Morning dim sum
早茶 · 虾饺 烧卖 肠粉
Har gow, siu mai and rice rolls. We’ll name teahouses once we’ve eaten there.
蚝
Shajing oysters
沙井蚝
The oyster-farming custom here is provincial intangible heritage.
海
Shekou seafood market
蛇口海鲜市场 · 渔村路49号
Pick your own seafood straight from the stalls. Open 5:30–19:30.
粽
Nan’ao sea-urchin zongzi
南澳海胆粽 · 南澳海鲜街
City-level heritage by the coast. Check the price tag and the weight before seafood is cooked.
We only name a restaurant once we have a source or have eaten there ourselves. Addresses are re-checked on Amap before publishing.
A city of towers, with a coastline most visitors never see.
Featured guides
Answers first. Details after.
Every guide opens with a one-line answer, then a key-facts table, a Chinese card to download, and the date it was last checked.
Essentials · Entry & border
Hong Kong to Shenzhen: which border to use, and which visa rule applies
Walking across at Luohu or Futian? The 240-hour transit won’t cover you. Here’s what will.
240h
Visa-free transit
China’s 240-hour transit: who qualifies, and the Shenzhen catch
Eat · How to order
Chaoshan beef hotpot: how to order every cut
Do · Shopping
Huaqiangbei for visitors: how to shop without getting burned
Show-the-driver cards · 给司机看
Big Chinese. Zero stress.
Hold up your phone or print them. Each card shows the place in large Chinese, its English name, and “please take me here, thank you.”
Lok Ma Chau border · Futian
福田口岸
Futian Port
请送我到这里，谢谢
Lo Wu border · Luohu
罗湖口岸
Luohu Port
请送我到这里，谢谢
Nanshan
深圳湾口岸
Shenzhen Bay Port
请送我到这里，谢谢
Ferry port · Nanshan
蛇口邮轮中心
Shekou Cruise Center
请送我到这里，谢谢
Electronics markets · Futian
华强北
Huaqiangbei
请送我到这里，谢谢
Nanshan
华侨城创意文化园
OCT Loft
请送我到这里，谢谢
Free, no sign-up. Print an A4 sheet or save a screenshot to your phone.
Open all 10 cards →Day trips
Out of the towers, into the edges.
How to get there by public transport, and when a driver makes sense.
Browse all of Do →Full day · Yantian → DapengDameisha & the east coast
Shenzhen’s best beach day, from Dameisha out to the Dapeng peninsula. Bus or driver?
BeachSeafood大梅沙
Half day · NanshanShekou in a day
Sea World, the seafood market and the ferry port, plus how Shekou connects you to Hong Kong airport.
HarbourMarket蛇口
Afternoon · Longgang
A Hakka afternoon & Dafen
Ganken Ancient Town’s Hakka hats and tea cakes, and an honest look at whether Dafen Oil Painting Village is worth the detour.
CultureHakka food甘坑 · 大芬
Ask us
A question about Shenzhen? Ask us.
Border, payments, a dish you can’t find, whether a day trip is worth it. We answer by email when we can. If you need a driver or guide, we can point you to a licensed local partner. Free to ask, no obligation.
Contact page →Every two weeks
Rule changes, new cities, new cards.
One short email when a visa or payment rule changes, when a new city opens, and when we have a dated field note worth sending. No weekly filler.
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