One-day trip itinerary: Shenzhen 101

If you’ve only got one day spare, or just want to grasp the essence of Shenzhen, this packed itinerary is for you.

Lianhua Hill Park

The best way to orient yourself in sprawling Shenzhen is to climb this verdant hilltop park in the heart of Futian District. Arrive early and you’ll see elderly locals exercising, flying kites or playing matchmaker for their unmarried grandkids. Ascend to the top for Shenzhen’s best skyline vistas. Quick tip: If you take the Metro Line 4 to Lianhua North Station (莲花北站), it’s a gentler climb to the top via the north entrance to the park. Then you can descend on the steeper south slope through Kite Square towards Shenzhen Civic Center.

Museum of Contemporary Art and Urban Planning

A short stroll from Lianhua Hill Park, this design-forward museum will arm you with a thorough understanding of just how the modern megacity of Shenzhen came to be in the years since 1978 and the establishment of the SEZ. If you’d rather learn about Shenzhen’s earlier history and folk culture, try the Shenzhen Museum, in the east wing of the Shenzhen Civic Center.

Ping An Finance Center

One of the world’s highest skyscraper observation deck awaits at ping An Finance Center, accessed by a superfast lift that whooshes up 116 floors in less than a minute. If the weather’s crystal clear, you can see all the way to Hong Kong island.

OCT-LOFT

Enjoy a leisurely afternoon stroll through Shenzhen’s nicest neighborhood, a former electronics factory complex turned creative industries hub. Be inspired by the large-scale installations at OCT Contemporary Art Terminal (OCAT), browse the area’s hip design stores like CTRL+ALT+DEL, and stop for coffee and cake at Old Heaven Books. The artistically inclined can tack on the He Xiangning Art Museum and OCT Art and Design Gallery.

Window of the World

Shenzhen’s endearingly kitsch mini monuments theme park sells cut-price evening tickets (7-10:30 p.m.), which is just enough time to whiz ‘round the attractions, watch the show in the amphitheater, and enjoy the fireworks finale.

Window of the World theme park.

Shekou Sea World

If you’ve still got the energy, head to the Sea World lifestyle plaza in Shekou, where bars, clubs and restaurants encircle the Minghua, a landlocked vintage cruise liner.