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Destination Shenzhen

Shenzhen is located in Guangdong province, adjacent to Hong Kong and bordering Dongguan city and Huizhou city. As China’s first Special Economic Zone, Shenzhen’s pleasant climate and picturesque coastal and mountain scenery have turned it into an attractive travel destination, which earned a place on The New York Times’ list of the world's 31 must-visit destinations. It is also a major transport hub for travellers entering and departing China.

For travellers, Shenzhen offers 271 kilometres of coastline serving up high-quality beaches; a vibrant metropolitan lifestyle with cultural and entertainment attractions, shopping malls, food streets and nightlife districts; 15 golf clubs, including one of the world’s largest; and a selection of amusement parks that has made the city China’s true capital of theme parks. Visitors should take advantage of this opportunity to enjoy the delicious local cuisine, the bustling shopping scene, and the major sights and landmarks of this friendly and open city.

Language
Putonghua (also known as Mandarin) is the official language of China and is spoken by most of its population. While most hotels in the country employ staff who are fluent in other languages, visitors cannot count on communicating in English with people they meet outside of tourist facilities. It’s advisable to have addresses or instructions written down in Chinese to show to taxi drivers. All major streets have signposts in pinyin (the Romanisation system for Chinese characters), which make it easier to get around with the help of a map.

Many people in China, especially young people, study English and welcome the opportunity to practice with foreigners. Don't be afraid to ask for directions in English from people on the street. You’ll usually be rewarded with a polite and often heroic attempt to help.

Time Zone
China is eight hours ahead of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT+8).

Climate & Weather
Shenzhen has a subtropical marine climate. In October, there are pleasant breezes, plenty of sunshine and comfortable temperatures. Many people regard these as the best months of the year to visit Shenzhen. The average temperature is around 22 to 28 Celsius. You are advised to check the weather forecast online before your arrival.

Currency
The currency in China is the Renminbi (RMB), the primary unit of which is the yuan. The smaller units are the jiao and the fen. 1 yuan is equivalent to 10 jiao and 1 jiao equals 10 fen.
The banknotes available are 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 50 and 100 yuan; and 1 and 5 jiao. Coins available are 1 yuan; and 1 and 5 jiao.

Cash and Credit Card
Most restaurants accept major credit cards such as American Express, Visa and Mastercard. However, smaller local restaurants will only accept cash.

ATM's are conveniently located in hotels, shopping centers, and office buildings in Shenzhen. Some hotels also have ATM's for credit cards.

Electricity
The standard voltage in China is 220 volts AC/50 cycles. A standard socket in China has two pins on the upper part and earthed three pins on the lower part. You will need an adaptor for 100-volt appliances.

 

Public Transport
Shenzhen is a compact city which is easy to travel around. While SZMC (Shenzhen Metro) is one of the most convenient ways, which allows you going to different part of the city efficiently and economically. For further information, please visit the SZMC website.

For other public transport information, please click HERE.

Telecommunication
Country code for China is +86 while city code for Shenzhen is 755.

How to make phone calls in China?

• When making international calls with landline or cell phone by yourself, first you must dial "00" (international prefix), then dial the country code, then the area code and local number.
• When making domestic long distance calls with landline or cell phone (to landline) in China, you should first dial the area code starting with 0, then the local number.
• When making domestic long distance calls with landline or cell phone (to cell phone) in China, you first should dial 0, then the cell phone number.
• When calling a Chinese landline out China, you must first dial the international prefix number, for example in US you dial 011, then dial 86 the country code for China, then the area code and local number.
• When calling a Chinese mobile number, you first need dial the international prefix number, then dial 86, then the mobile number.

Useful Numbers

Phone Number	Service
110	Police
114	Local telephone number inquiry and area code inquiry
119	Fire Station
120	Ambulance
8200320	Shenzhen Tourist Bureau

In towns and cities, IDD service is provided at all hotels and post offices. Phone cards are available in post offices inside hotels or in the streets. Even more conveniently, most newsstands in major cities also carry phone cards. Telephone booths in the streets are mostly for local calls.

Some information are sourced from China National Tourism Administration and Discover Hong Kong.