Living in SZ | Places to visit in Bao'an for transit travelers

A group of international travelers from Spain, the United States, and France, who were on a flight from Barcelona with a layover at the Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport, embarked on a one-day tour Aug. 12 to explore the culture and urban charm of Bao’an District.

A family of four, who are among the passengers of a flight from Barcelona with a layover at the Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport on Aug. 12, pose for a photo at the airport. Photos from official WeChat account "宝安文体通" 

Shortly after arriving at 7:15 a.m. and completing border immigration procedures, the travelers started the Bao’an Experience Tour, which was organized by the district's tourism administration.

At the Bao’an Urban Planning and Exhibition Hall, located in the Bao’an Library, the travelers familiarized themselves with the history and future trajectory of urban planning and development in the district.

The transit passengers learn about Bao'an District's history at the Bao'an Urban Planning and Exhibition Hall. 

They also learned about the history of Bao’an and Shenzhen through a digital presentation on a 50-meter-wide flexible screen.

During the six-hour tour, the tourists rode the Bay Glory Ferris wheel at OH Bay, which provides a stunning view of the area from 128 meters. The group also walked along the Xiwan-Qianhai Bay Slow Traffic Corridor, a unique leisure area along the coast.

Alonso Gelabert Oriol, from Spain, said that the one-day tour was a good option for international tourists who are interested in learning about the city in a short time, and that he would share his experience with his friends in Europe.

In the past, international travelers stayed in hotels during layovers. That is not the case anymore, thanks to the opening of travel tours for transit passengers. 

Catalyzed by China’s 144-hour visa-free transit policy, data from the Shenzhen airport show that 500,000 overseas travelers entered China through the Shenzhen Airport in the first half of the year, a 212% year-on-year increase. 

Here are a few tourism attractions and destinations in Bao’an District that are worth exploring. Transit travelers can customize their own itineraries based on the length of their layover time.

Bao’an District Urban Planning Exhibition Hall

Located on the second and third floors of the Bao’an District Library, the Bao’an District Urban Planning Exhibition Hall showcases the cultural history, construction achievements and future urban planning of the district across an exhibition area of nearly 5,300 square meters. This comprehensive exhibition hall integrates displays, academic research, cultural exchanges and educational practices

The Bao'an District Library. 

Add: 1 Baoxing Road, Bao’an District

Opening hours: 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. (Closed Monday)

OH Bay

Located in the southern coastal area of the Bao’an CBD, OH Bay combines coastal leisure, cultural tourism, art performances, and ecological office space over an area of approximately 380,000 square meters. It boasts a 270,000-square-meter Coastal Cultural Park, a 120,000-square-meter seaside commercial center, the 128-meter-high Bay Glory Ferris wheel, and the Bay Opera of Shenzhen. Every night, visitors can enjoy a 15-minute water show and a 15-minute music fountain performance at the Festival Plaza of the Coastal Cultural Park. 

Since its opening in 2019, this modern cultural and tourism complex has attracted nearly 40 million visitors.

The transit passengers take photos on the Bay Glory Ferris wheel. 

Bay Glory Ferris wheel

Opening hours: 

10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. (Monday, Wednesday and Thursday)

5 p.m. to 10 p.m. (Tuesday)

10:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m. (Friday, Saturday and Sunday)

Coastal Cultural Park

Opening hours: 10 a.m. to 10 p.m.

The water show

8 p.m. (Monday to Friday)

8 p.m. and 9 p.m. (Saturday, Sunday and public holidays)

The music fountain performance

7:30 p.m. (Monday to Friday)

7:30 p.m. and 8:30 p.m. (Saturday, Sunday and public holidays)

Waterlands Resort

Spanning approximately 4.9 kilometers along the coast in the middle and western parts of Bao’an District, Waterlands Resort is an ecological tourism destination themed around ecology, leisure and lifestyle, encompassing sightseeing, recreation, vacationing, ecological education and training over an area of 1.63 million square meters.

A bird's eye view of the Waterlands Resort. 

The resort primarily emphasizes landscape design and ecological restoration of the coastline. Its scenic area features numerous waterways, dense forests, lush green grass, birdsong, fragrant flowers, and fresh air. The 500,000 square meters of mangrove forest, along with over 200,000 square meters of mulberry-fish ponds, highlight the beauty of subtropical coastal wetland ecology.

Opening hours: 9 a.m. to 11 p.m.

Add: Minzhu Boulevard, Shajing Subdistrict, Bao’an District

Metro: Line 12 to Waterlands Resort East Station (海上田园东站)

Phoenix Mountain Forest Park

Located in Fuyong Subdistrict in the southwestern part of Bao’an District, Phoenix Mountain Forest Park is one of the city’s primary suburban forest parks embodying Hakka culture, bamboo culture and cycling culture.

The Phoenix Mountain Forest Park. 

Phoenix Mountain has rich cultural heritage, stemmed from the Phoenix Ancient Village, the ancestral home of the descendants of Wen Tianxiang that was established during the late Song Dynasty, at the foot of the mountain. Wen Tianxiang was a Song Dynasty prime minister, scholar and patriot who resisted the Mongol invasion and wrote classics on righteousness.

The Phoenix Wenchang Tower in the Phoenix Ancient Village on the southern slope of the mountain was built in 1816. Made of blue bricks, the tower stands approximately 20 meters tall, making it the tallest surviving ancient tower in Bao’an District. In September 1984, it was designated as one of Shenzhen's cultural relics under city-level protection.

The 600-year-old Fengyan Ancient Temple, accessible by mountain roads and stone paths, lies halfway up the Phoenix Mountain. Constructed between 1297 and 1307, this temple is one of the important Buddhist centers in Shenzhen. 

Fengyan Ancient Temple was said to have been built by Wen Yinglin, Wen Tianxiang’s great-grandson, in his honor. 

Not far from the temple is the natural stone cave known as “Fairy Cave,” where Guanyin, the Goddess of Mercy in Buddhism, is enshrined. Legend has it that a phoenix once dwelled inside the cave, giving rise to the surrounding rocks being called Phoenix Rocks.

Opening hours: 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.

Add: The eastern part of the intersection of Phoenix Mountain Boulevard and Fufeng Road, Fuyong Subdistrict, Bao'an District

Phoenix Ancient Village

Originally known as Lingxia Village, Phoenix Ancient Village boasts a history of more than 700 years, and houses a significant number of ancient Cantonese buildings. Covering an area of 52,000 square meters, the village is the ancestral home and residential area for the descendants of Wen Tianxiang and the Wen clan.

A view of Phoenix Ancient Village.

As a typical Cantonese residential architectural complex in Guangdong Province, Phoenix Ancient Village is famous for its concentration of ancient buildings and excellent preservation, including five ancient study rooms and private schools, 69 residences dating from the Ming and Qing dynasties, 12 ancestral halls, 12 ancient wells, 12 ancient trees, six main alleys and 35 secondary valleys, all holding significant physical, historical and cultural value.

In 2009, Phoenix Ancient Village was designated as a district-level immovable cultural relic in Bao'an District. 

Xinqiao Civic Square

Covering more than 127,000 square meters in Xinqiao Subdistrict, the oval-shaped Xinqiao Civic Square is the largest subdistrict-level leisure and cultural square in the country. The square features various entertainment and landscape facilities, such as large and small performance stages, a clock tower, fountains, leisure gardens, a culture and art corridor, a cultural sports park, a children's park, and landscape sculptures, all presented in a European style. The square is divided into three areas: the entrance square area, the central square area, and the cultural sports park.

A view of Xinqiao Civic Square. 

Surrounding the square are 228 Roman columns, 88 constellation murals, and 20 starry sky murals that stretch along the corridor.

The large circular stage on the north side of the square serves as a venue for Xinqiao residents to host large-scale celebratory events.

Add: 29-31 Zhongxin Road, Bao’an District

Metro: Line 11 to Shajing Station (沙井站)

Wanjing Tower

Not far from the Xinqiao Civic Square is the Wanjing Tower. 

Wanjing Tower is a cluster of buildings designed in the Ming Dynasty architectural style, featuring blue bricks, dark tiles, red windows, and green trees.

A view of Wanjing Tower. 

The exquisite craftsmanship and thoughtful design of this complex make visitors feel as if they have traveled back in time to the ancient capital of Xi'an. Yet, Wanjing Tower cleverly integrates the Ming-style tower and Suzhou gardens, creating a unique charm. Suzhou, in southern Jiangsu Province of the Yangtze Delta region, is renowned for its classic gardens, traditional waterside architecture, and traditional operas. It was a summer retreat of emperors in ancient China.

Add: 19 Zhongxin Road, Bao’an District

Metro: Line 11 to Shajing Station (沙井站)

Qingping Ancient Market

Qingping Ancient Market, established during the late Qing Dynasty, is one of Shenzhen’s four major ancient markets. This historical site features significant buildings such as the Qing Dynasty Yongxing Bridge, a city-level cultural heritage site in Shenzhen, the Xinqiao Granary, a district-level cultural heritage site in Bao’an, and the Guang'an Pawnshop, recognized as an immovable cultural heritage site in Bao'an District.

A view of Qingping Ancient Market. 

With a history spanning approximately 200 years, Qingping Ancient Market was once a bustling commercial hub with merchants from various places and a diverse array of shops. Qingping Ancient Market has now become an important historical and cultural education base in Shenzhen. It has also been developed into a comprehensive entertainment industry cluster that integrates film, art, leisure, and cultural tourism.

Built in 1785, Yongxing Bridge is the only remaining ancient three-arch stone bridge in Shenzhen.

The Guang'an Pawnshop, known locally as “Dang Lou,” is the largest existing pawnshop site in Shenzhen. The building retains its original architectural features from its initial construction.

The Xinqiao Granary was established in the 1950s and was one of the four major grain centers in then Bao'an County. The granary, featuring distinctive Lingnan architecture style, consists of two parallel cylindrical warehouses, built with red bricks and topped with glazed tiles.

Add: Qiaotou North Road, Xinqiao Subdistrict, Bao’an District

Metro: Line 11 to Shajing Station (沙井站)

Shajing Oyster Culture Museum

Established in 2009, the Shajing Oyster Culture Museum boasts a collection of more than 500 items exhibited across an area of 600 square meters. This is Shenzhen’s first specialized museum dedicated to showcasing the historical development and cultural significance of Shajing oysters. Its exhibits covers various aspects of Shajing oysters, including their history, aquaculture practices, processing techniques, production tools, as well as the livelihoods and customs of local oyster farmers.

The Shajing Oyster Culture Museum. 

Add: 299 Shajing Street, Shajing Subdistrict, Bao’an District

Rainbow cruise line

The Rainbow Cruise Line operates between the Shenzhen airport terminal and Qianhai Bay, offering tourists an opportunity to enjoy the picturesque scenery along Shenzhen’s western coast. Passengers can take in views of the Shenzhong Link that connects Shenzhen and Zhongshan, a city on the west bank of the Pearl River estuary, the Xiwan Mangroves Park, the bustling Dachan Bay Container Terminal, and the Bay Glory Ferris wheel alongside the impressive skyscrapers of Qianhai.

The Xiwan Mangroves Park, one of Shenzhen’s eight national-level wetland parks, is an excellent location for sunset viewing.

The Rainbow Cruise Line runs at 5 p.m. on weekdays, and at 9:30 a.m. and 5 p.m. on weekend, with a ticket price of 138 yuan per person.