Take a tour of landmarks in Shenzhen

Lianhua Hill Park 

Located in the northern part of Futian District’s CBD area, Lianhua Hill, with its seven peaks forming the shape of a lotus flower, has been given the name “Lianhua”–or lotus flower in Chinese. It is the de facto "green lung" of the area. The area dubbed "Early Spring on Lianhua Hill" was selected as one of the Eight Scenic Spots of Shenzhen. In recent years, annual visitors to the park have reached as high as 15 million.

Several attractions such as the Palm Grove, Lianhua Lake, Lianhua Hill Peak Square, Yangri Lake, Kite Lawn and Peach Grove are hugely popular amongresidents and tourists alike. Climbing up the hiking trailto a height of 106 meters takes you to Lianhua Hill Peak Square, where a bronze statue of former leader Deng Xiaoping, the first city sculpture approved by the Central Government, overlooks the city’s CBD. Unveiled on Nov. 14, 2000, it was selected as one of the 10 historical pieces of architecture of Shenzhen. The statue of Deng has him dressed in a trench coat, facing south and striding forward. From the peak’s scenic overlook, visitors can see skyscrapers and other tall buildings in the Futian CBD and Hong Kong further in the distance.

On a granite stone wall behind the statue is an engraving ofthe inscription left by Deng Xiaoping when he visited the city in 1984. It reads: “Shenzhen's development and experience have proved that our policy of establishing special economic zones is correct.” On the other side of the wall is another famed quote byDeng, the architect of China’s opening-up policy: “I am the son of the Chinese people. I deeply love my motherland and its people.”

A giant outdoor portrait of Deng Xiaoping sits at the southeast entrance of Litchi Park in Futian. Every year, millions of visitors drop by to take a photo with the visionary statesman – or at least his portrait.

Time Square

Times Square is located on the first blast site of the 1979 Shekou Industrial Zone construction project. The slogan "Time is money, efficiency is life," which has been written on a giant billboard on the square, led Shenzhen and the whole of China to break its ideological shackles more than 40 years ago. To use a Chinese expression, the area is considered “the first thunder of spring.” Both the construction of the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone and the spirit of the city itself originated here.

Shenzhen International Trade Center Building

Completed in 1985, the 53-story (with three underground floors), 160-meter-high Shenzhen International Trade Center Building was once the tallest in China and will always be remembered as the first skyscraper on the Chinese mainland, marking a new milestone in the history of Chinese architecture.

Although its height has since been surpassed by other skyscrapers both in China and overseas, it is renowned for the "Shenzhen speed"with which it was built (one floor completed every three days). In 1992, Deng Xiaoping, while on his inspection tour of southern China, delivered his important “Southern Speech” there. This helped revive the country’s stalled reform and opening-up drive, and thus transformed the building into an important historical venue. 

Bronze sculpture of Ox 

The bronze sculpture of an ox at the front gate of Shenzhen Municipal Committee building on Shennan Boulevard was erected in 1984 and has since become a city landmark. It appears in the form of an ox reclaiming the land by pulling a tree root, which symbolizes the entrepreneurial spirit of the builders of the city who were courageous pioneers, bold innovators, and selfless in their dedication.

In December 2010, the sculpture was listed among the fifth batch of protectedcultural relics in Shenzhen. 

Shennan Boulevard

Shennan Boulevard is an east-west trunk road that runs through the main urban area of the city. It spans the three districts of Luohu, Futian and Nanshan, and is one of the Eight Scenic Spots of Shenzhen.

Shennan Boulevard starts from Nantou Checkpoint in the west and connects with Yanhe Road in Luohu in the east. It took 14 years for the whole road to be completed from the original 2.1-kilometer route that connects the Caiwuwei and Shangbu areas, into to the current 25.8-km main road. It is 135 meters wide on average and has 12 to 16 standard lanes, with the maximum width being 350 meters.

Countless skyscrapers are scattered along the two sides of the boulevard, where offices of more than 140 Fortune 500 companies are located. Along the boulevard lies Nantou Ancient City, Shenzhen University, Shenzhen Science and Technology Park, Overseas Chinese Town (OCT), Shenzhen Civic Center, the iconic ox sculpture, Dongmen Street, and much more. It also connects some of Shenzhen's administrative, cultural, commercial, financial and technological centers.

Shennan Boulevard is not just a traffic artery but has witnessed the development and growth of Shenzhen itself. 

Shenzhen Civic Center

Shenzhen Civic Center is located on the central axis of Futian CBD, with Lianhua Hill to the north and the CBD to the south. It is a multi-functional complex with government agencies, museums and halls having settled there. It is also the largest municipal building in Shenzhen.

The design of the civic center reflects an open- and people-centered government. Its eastern, middle and western parts are connected by a huge mesh steel structure with a wavy roof. Seen from afar, it looks like a roc– a legendary bird of prey of immense size – about to fly over the north side of Shennan Boulevard, symbolizing the development of Shenzhen. In videos of the city, the civic center is typically the most photographed building.

Shenzhen Ping'an International Financial Center

Shenzhen Ping'an International Financial Center is the tallest building in the city. With a height of 592.5 meters, it ranks among the top five skyscrapers in the world, and the top three in China.

The 116th floor is the Free Sky sightseeing floor, which provides entertainment, creative cultural products and science education. Taking a high-speed elevator to the floor, visitors can not only enjoy a 360-degree bird's-eye view of the city, but also step on 36 suspended glass panels that are 547.6 meters above the ground. This set a new world record in terms of the highest viewing platform on a manmade structure. At the same time, visitors can experience a range of fun activities such as Free Sky photography, a space-time tunnel, mirror maze, virtual smart city, interactive shadow games, futuristic telescope, and more.