Living in SZ | Embrace New Year by exploring the city

As we bid farewell to the old and welcome the new, let’s set our sights on some of the new exciting destinations and unforgettable experiences this city has to offer. Whether it’s the charm of a bustling cityscape, the tranquility of a secluded mountain and sea retreat, or the fun of amused children, the dawn of this new year invites us to explore and savor the best around us.

01 Glow Shenzhen light festival

Glow Shenzhen 2023, a grand light festival, has brought vibrant night scenes to city streets.

The festival kicked off in Futian CBD with a special light show Dec. 22， 2023.

A light installation in Futian CBD that is part of Glow Shenzhen 2023. Photo courtesy of the event organizer

The light festival, which runs through Feb. 25, features 215 works and installations of light art from various countries. It has its main venue set up in Futian District, with five subvenues in Luohu, Nanshan, Bao’an, Longgang, and Guangming districts, and four exhibition sites in Yantian, Longhua, Pingshan, and Dapeng. A total of 33 themed art events are being held during the festival.

This year’s Glow Shenzhen is held in cooperation with “i light Singapore,” Asia’s leading sustainable light festival, to bring local audiences an interactive installation titled “Plug & Play,” which has been included in this year’s “i light Singapore.” The installation is being exhibited between One Avenue and Wongtee Center Building in Futian.

A light show in Bao'an District that is part of Glow Shenzhen 2023. Photo from Dute News

The festival has made full use of the city’s key business districts and shopping centers such as UpperHills in Futian and OCT Harbor in Nanshan to diversify consumption scenarios by adding digital art exhibitions, art exhibitions, and music festivals. Additionally, night markets are being held at the One Avenue and Link Central Walk malls in Futian.

Citizens can check out the WeChat miniprogram “深圳光影艺术季” for information on the locations of artworks, events, and shopping promotions.

Glow Shenzhen, a pioneer of urban public art activities, continues to attract well-known artists from home and abroad, supporting outstanding young artists, and enhancing the city’s international influence through light art. According to the city’s urban management authority, over the past four years the light festival has displayed more than 900 light artworks.

02 New expanded Metro route offers faster link to the sea

Shenzhen’s first direct Metro route to the popular Dameisha and Xiaomeisha beaches in Yantian District began operation last week.

The extension of Metro Line 8 starts from the existing Yantian Road Station of lines 2 and 8, stretching eastward to the Xiaomeisha Station, covering a distance of about 8.01 kilometers. It has four stations, Honganwei, Yantianxu, Dameisha, and Xiaomeisha. A Metro ride from Dameisha to Xiaomeisha shortens the over half-an-hour bus ride to 3 minutes.

The four stations’ designs reflect Yantian’s marine feature, in addition to the district’s reputation for green tourism.

A light installation featuring a swimming whale is seen on the ceiling of Dameisha Metro station. Liu Xudong

Each station features a unique thematic style, with elements such as conches, shells, and turtles on the ceilings and floor tiles, creating a relaxed ambience for passengers to enjoy.

As a vital transportation artery in the eastern part of Shenzhen, the Line 8 extension is designed to facilitate travel for residents in Luohu, Futian, and Nanshan districts and other parts of the city who may be heading to Yantian.

While the Xiaomeisha Station is the station closest to the sea, exits A and B of the Dameisha Station were designed as outward halls, allowing passengers direct access to the Dameisha beach.

In addition, an eight-minute walk from the Yantianxu Station will lead foodies to Yantian Seafood Street, one of the eight major food streets in Shenzhen.

Passengers pose for a photo with an ocean-themed decoration in Dameisha Station. Liu Xudong

Furthermore, the extension line also provides convenience for travelers from Hong Kong as direct access to Line 8 is available from both Liantang and Shatoujiao checkpoints.

03 New landmark: Shenzhen Library’s north division

Another state-of-the-art cultural landmark officially opened to the public Dec. 28, 2023, marking a further step in the city’s eventual plan to build 10 new cultural landmarks in the new era.

Located on the city’s central axis and in the Shenzhen North Railway Station central business district, the new library stands across from the Shenzhen Art Museum’s new venue, which began full operation in early November 2023.

The interior of Shenzhen Library's north division. Liu Minxia

The library, with a total construction area of 72,000 square meters, is designed as a comprehensive and smart public library that can also function as the city’s literature archive, its document collection and editing center, network data center, and a literature dispatching center, contributing to Shenzhen’s reputation as a “City of Libraries,” according to Liu Zhe, deputy head of the project’s preparation office.

The new library, with tech features in almost all its dimensions, can complement the functions of the main Shenzhen Library site in Futian District. It provides a total of 2,500 reading seats and houses an extensive collection of 8 million books.

In addition to six floors above ground, the library also features a three-floor-deep underground storage area with an automatic and intelligent book sorting system. The underground section, 21.55 meters deep and covering an area of 3,000 square meters, is roughly the size of seven basketball courts. It is the largest and first ultra-deep three-dimensional library in China.

Part of the library's automatic sorting and positioning system. These book shelves in the libary are where readers can pick up the books they select. Liu Minxia

Through the automatic sorting and positioning system, readers can complete rapid borrowing in as short as 8 minutes. Once a reader submits a book request, the books will be retrieved by an automated carriage, which can travel from the underground floors to the top floors for readers to immediately pickup.

Both the library and the new art museum are among the 10 major cultural landmarks Shenzhen decided to build at the end of 2018, and both are designed by German studio KSP Jürgen Engel Architekten.

Reservations are needed for admission and the library is open to a total of 8,000 readers per day, including 2,000 for the children’s area. Readers who plan to drive there can submit their parking reservations one day in advance via the Shenzhen Library WeChat public account.

Add: 30 Tenglong Road, Longhua District (龙华区腾龙路30号)

Metro: Lines 4 or 6 to Hongshan Station (红山站), Exit A1

Opening hours: 7 a.m.-11 p.m. (Monday to Sunday) for the first floor reading hall; 9 a.m.-5 p.m. (Tuesday to Sunday; no admission from 4:30 p.m.) for other public service areas, closed on Mondays

Tel: 8284-1011

04 Biggest park for children opens for trial operation

Longgang Children’s Park, the largest children’s park in Shenzhen, went into trial operation Dec. 28, 2023.

A view of Longgang Children's park in Longgang District. Photo from Dute News

Covering an area of 323,600 square meters, Longgang Children’s Park is located on the north side of the intersection of Yanlong Boulevard and Aixin Road in Longcheng Subdistrict.

To accommodate the various needs of children of all ages, the park is organized into three main sections and houses 19 sets of powered entertainment equipment and 10 sets of unpowered themed equipment.

The park features an 88-meter-diameter Ferris wheel and a 108-seat pirate ship. 

The children’s park’s two major attractions are an 88-meter-diameter Ferris wheel and a 108-seat pirate ship, which is said to be Asia’s largest.

There are approximately 480 parking spaces available in the park. Several parking lots in the vicinity also offer over 1,000 parking spaces that are expected to meet the high demands during weekends and holidays.

Reservations for park entrance and parking within the park are required. Reservations can be made through the WeChat account “龙岗儿童公园.”

05 Birdwatching etiquette

A reminder for birdwatchers:

Winter is an ideal time for birdwatching in Shenzhen, as it is the peak season for migratory birds. If you happen to feel like visiting the nesting sites for birds during the holiday, please note that lately local bird lovers have risen alarm over tourists’ bird-feeding habits.

A male northern shoveler and two Pacific golden plovers are seen taking a rest at Shenzhen Talent Park in Nanshan District on Dec. 9. Wang Haolan

The city’s planning and natural resources bureau staff provide essential etiquette for birdwatching.

First, people are advised to avoid wearing bright colors such as red, yellow, and orange, as these colors can alarm and disturb the birds.

Second, the bureau emphasizes one should maintain silence and not startle or drive away the birds.

Third, keep a safe distance from the birds, refraining from feeding or touching them; washing hands after birdwatching is crucial, especially due to the potential transmission of avian influenza viruses by migratory birds.

A male fork-tailed sunbird forages on a flower at Baguang Silver Leaf Wetland in Dapeng New Area on Dec. 4. Wang Haolan

Chen Peitao from the Shenzhen Academy of Environmental Sciences said that maintaining a distance of 3 to 10 meters is appropriate for birdwatching. Small birds should not be approached within less than 3 meters, while large birds should be observed from a distance of at least 10 meters.

Last, it was emphasized that using a camera flash directly on birds at night can impact them, and flash photography should be avoided during nighttime birdwatching.