Explore west SZ with Metro Line 12, far north with Line 6 spur

Early this week, Shenzhen Metro Line 12 and the spur line of Line 6 started operation. Nicknamed “King of Transfer,” Line 12, with 33 stations, covers most areas in the far west Shenzhen and encourages passengers to explore more places via transfer stations on lines 1, 2, 5, 9 11 and 20.

                   An interactive screen is seen at Zuopaotai East Station. Passengers can tap key words on interactive screens at some

                   Metro stations to get information quickly. Photos by Cao Zhen except otherwised stated

Line 12

Zuopaotai East Station 左炮台东站

From this station, people can walk to the Left Fort (左炮台) in the far southwest corner of Shenzhen. The site has witnessed the centuries-old coastal defense history in Guangdong. From the 16th century to the 19th century, Chinese armies and people defeated Portuguese, Dutch and British invaders in the sea of Chiwan. The Left and Right Forts were built in 1669 and used to have 12 cannons. They played a critical role in the defense during the Opium Wars in the 19th century.

Today, on the remaining site of the Left Fort, the statue of opium smuggling fighter Lin Zexu, a cannon on a sea-view platform, old barracks and stone steps all tell the past stories of those brave people who had protected China.

                  The statue of Lin Zexu at the Left Fort.

Also within walking distance, people can check out I-Factory (价值工厂), an exhibition and event space transformed from the old Guangdong Float Glass Factory. Its Instagrammable vertical silos offer a unique, otherworldly space; graffiti and 3D projection mapping shows on the façades breathe new life into the aging behemoth.

Visitors take selfies at “The Siløs Metaverse” exhibition at I-Factory. Sun Yuchen

Taiziwan Station 太子湾站

Taiziwan Station is very close to the Shekou Cruise Homeport (蛇口邮轮母港), the largest international cruise homeport in South China. From there, you can take a short voyage on a sightseeing cruiser to appreciate some iconic spots on the sea in west Shenzhen and beyond.

Shekou Cruise Homeport. Sun Yuchen

Sea World Station 海上世界站

Located in the social hub of Shekou, Sea World Station offers transfers between Metro lines 2 and 12. Sea World, boasting a wide array of cuisine from all over the world, is home to the majority of expats in Shenzhen and a tourist attraction for visitors. At the Olé supermarket in nearby Gateway One (汇港购物中心), you can buy a variety of international products.

Moving southward to the seafront, the Sea World Culture and Arts Center (海上世界文化艺术中心) is a premiere art, design and performance complex and Pier Park (防波堤公园) on the Shenzhen Bay Coastal Leisure Belt is an ideal place to relax and view the sea.

Nanhai E-Cool. Sun Yuchen

Nanhai E-Cool (南海意库) to the north is a center for more than 100 creative enterprises in the sectors of architecture, industrial design, art creation and landscape design. There are also special boutiques and cafés at the Shekou Coastal Cultural and Creative Street Block which was added to the list of national nighttime culture and tourism consumption areas by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism in July.

                           The lighthouse at Pier Park. Photo from WeChat account "mlszgzh"

Moving southward to the seafront, the Sea World Culture and Arts Center (海上世界文化艺术中心) is a premiere art, design and performance complex and Pier Park (防波堤公园) on the Shenzhen Bay Coastal Leisure Belt is an ideal place to relax and view the sea. 

Huaguoshan Station 花果山站

From this station, people can quickly walk to the G&G Creative Community (G&G创意社区), a trendy, hangout complex focusing on community connections and new lifestyles. Events and parties are regularly held on weekends and holidays, celebrating music, dance, contemporary art, wine and more.

G&G Creative Community. Lin Songtao

As a part of the Shekou Coastal Cultural and Creative Street Block, Shekou Net Valley (蛇口网谷), within walking distance of the Metro station, is an internet and e-commerce industrial base integrated with high technology and cultural industry.

Shekou Net Valley. Sun Yuchen

Sihai Station 四海站

Shekou is an amazing neighborhood in Shenzhen and you can find peace at Sihai Park (四海公园). Built in 1987, the park has a beautiful waterfront environment; lush plants provide a rich habitat for biological communities; sports tracks, plank roads, landscape pavilions and bridges draw in residents of all ages to linger. At the Walmart (沃尔玛) supermarket near Garden City Center (花园城中心), you’ll find all the tastes from home.

A glance at Sihai Park. Photo from Shenzhen Evening News

Nanyou Station 南油站

Nanyou Station offers transfer to Line 9 and is adjacent to the Raffles City (来福士广场) shopping and dining mall. Palace LUXE Cinema (深圳百丽宫影城) in Raffles City is currently holding the Abbas Kiarostami retrospective movie screening.

Taoyuan Station 桃园站

Taoyuan Station is an interchange station of lines 1 and 12. The most popular spot near the station is Nanshan Museum (南山博物馆), which has hosted several hot exhibitions, showcasing rarely seen artifacts such as Afghan treasures, Syrian relics and Egyptian golden mummies. The museum also undertakes the Nanshan history and the ancient Maritime Silk Road history research work.

The west side of Nanshan Museum faces the Nanshan Library (南山图书馆) and its north faces the Nanshan Cultural and Sports Center (南山文体中心).

Nanshan Museum and posters of its current exhibitions. Photos from the museum

Nantou Ancient City Station

南头古城站

From this station, visitors can have quick access to Nantou Ancient Town (南头古城), which has a history of almost 1,700 years. Known as the historical and cultural root of Shenzhen and Hong Kong, the town boasts the typical Cantonese architectural style in most of its houses. Inside the town, Dongguan Guildhall (东莞会馆) built in 1868 and the Xin’an County Government Office (新安县衙), a reproduction of the original that operated from the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) to the early 20th century, are worth a visit. 

Visitors at Nantou Ancient Town. Lin Songtao

In 2020, some parts of the town were renovated for food and beverage businesses, cultural spaces and creative product stores. Now when walking in the oldest part of Shenzhen, it’s great to see a mixture of the past and the chic. You can also visit Lixiang Park (荔香公园) on the east side of the Metro station.

Zhongshan Park Station 中山公园站

To the north of Nantou Ancient Town is Zhongshan Park (中山公园) where you will find a remaining wall of Nantou Ancient Town built in 1394. Pick some flowers at Dutch Flower Town (荷兰花卉小镇) to the west side of Zhongshan Park. The flower town is a popular place where you can buy flowers, pets, rocks and garden supplies and take selfies in front of European-style houses, windmills, a flower terrace and other Dutch symbols including a pair of large wooden shoes.

Visitors select flowers at Dutch Flower Town. Photo from Shenzhen Special Zone Daily

Many stations on Line 12 are located in residential areas, with pocket parks nearby. Two bigger parks are Bao’an Park (宝安公园) near Shangchuan Station (上川站) and Pingluan Hill Park near Pingluan Hill Station (平峦山站). The latter has several viewing platforms for parkgoers to overlook the picturesque Tiegang Reservoir (铁岗水库).

Lixin Lake Park. Photo from Bao'an Daily

From Shenzhen World Station (国展站), fairgoers can have access to Halls 1-12 of the Shenzhen World Exhibition and Convention Center (深圳国际会展中心), and from Shenzhen World North Station (国展北站), you can reach to Halls 13-20. Covering 1.48 million square meters, the center is a mega exhibition and convention complex integrating exhibitions, conferences, performances and events.

Shenzhen World Exhibition and Convention Center. Photo by Sun Yuchen

From Waterlands Resort South Station (海上田园南站) and Waterlands Resort East Station (海上田园东站), nature-lovers can walk to Waterlands Resort, a park that is dotted with lakes, streams, dense woods and green grass. It has rich mangrove and shrub species and is integrated with the functions of sightseeing and entertaining.

Visitors at Waterlands Resort. Photo from Bao'an Daily

Line 6 spur

With only four stations, the spur line of Line 6 provides access to new communities in Guangming District in the far north.

Zhenmei Station 圳美站

Three hidden gems near Zhenmei Station are Xinpitou South Wetland Park (新陂头南湿地公园), Benevolence Chen’s Ancestral Hall (遗爱陈公祠) and Dechun Book Room (德淳书室). The ancestral hall was built in the 14th century and renovated in 2011, and the book room was built in the 18th century.

Benevolence Chen’s Ancestral Hall. Photo from WeChat account "aiszgm"

Sun Yat-sen University Station (中大站) is next to Sun Yat-sen University Shenzhen Campus (中山大学深圳校区). SIAT Station (深理工站) is close to Shenzhen Institute of Advanced Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences (中国科学院深圳理工大学) with its Guangming campus being under construction. SIAT Station is also near the border between Shenzhen and Dongguan.