New York City Tourism in a Blink

By: Wolfgang Jaegel
Located in Guangdong Province in southern China, Shenzhen is a sub-provincial city, bordering the Pearl River Delta and Hong Kong to the south and Dongguan and Huizhou to the north. Due to its strategic location, Shenzhen provides great potentials for economic growth and is considered the economic capital of the country.

Sometimes, Shenzhen is referred to as the backyard of Hong Kong, since it is within close proximity to Hong Kong and hence allows for a convenient day trip from Shenzhen to Hong Kong or vice versa. Shenzhen boasts of a long history of more than 1500 years. Once a small, typical fishing village known as Baoan County, the destination got its present name in 1979 when Deng Xiaoping, the then Communist Party Chairman, gave the location the designation of Special Economic Zone.

Today, Shenzhen is a blend of traditional Chinese culture and modernity and enjoys all the benefits and comforts of an international city, with superb attractions, state of the art road and transportation system, and high quality as well as advanced information system.

Administered by the Guangdong Provincial Government, Shenzhen is divided into six zones, such as, Luohu, Futian, Nanshan, Yantian, Bao'an and Longgang, among which first four are located in the Special Economic Zone (SEZ.) Luohu is in the eastern section of the Special Economic Zone, and is considered the financial and trade center of the city.

Located at the heart of SEZ, Futian serves as the destination's center of administration, culture, and commerce. Nanshan is regarded as the learning as well as western logistics of Shenzhen and is in the western part of the Special Economic Zone. Situated to the east of SEZ, Yantian is much famed as the center of tourism.

Neighboring Dapeng Bay and Daya Bay, Longgang district is popular as the center for hi-tech export processing and logistics distribution. When comes to Bao'an, it occupies an area of about 715 square kilometers and serves as a base for modern agriculture. In addition, Shenzhen is also a provincial city under the control of the Central Government.

Al though, the city doesn't has as many historical attractions that other destinations in China have, Shenzhen has created great other attractions in order to entertain and educate visitors touring here. For instance, a visit to the China Folk Cultural Village would be a great way to get a clear idea on different types of folk cultures of the country.

Sprawling over an area of about 500 acres, the China Folk Cultural Village consists of more than 20 unique cottages, each of them representing the distinctive architecture of various ethnic groups. The Village also hosts a number of interesting festivals including the Water-Splashing Festival, the Torch Festival - a traditional event of the Yi ethnic group, and Knife Bar Festival - celebrated by the Lisu ethnic group. In addition, people touring here can also take part in folk dances and shop handicraft items.

Situated in Shenzhen's Oversea Chinese Town, Splendid China is another prominent attraction in the destination. Also known as Shenzhen Miniature Kingdom, Splendid China is one of the largest miniature scenery parks in the world, with replicas of almost all landmarks in the country, such as the Terra Cotta Warriors and Horses in Xian, the Great Wall, the Forbidden City, the Old Summer Palace, Ancient Observatory of Beijing, Potala Palace, the Mogao Caves of Dunhuang, Mount Huangshan, the Li River, and much more.

This scenic miniature park is managed by the China Travel Services, and is divided into two sections such as a Scenic Spot Area and a Comprehensive Area. It is estimated that there are more than 50,000 ceramic figures in the park.

Attractions in Shenzhen also include the Window of the World, a replica park situated in the western region of the city. The focal point of the park is the flamboyant replicas of the world's wonderful as well as scenic sites such as the Eiffel Tower, the Tower of London, Roman Colosseum, the Pyramids, Niagara Falls and the Grand Canyon, Manhattan, and Mahamuni Pagoda of Rangoon. In short, when you leave the park after seeing these replicas, you feel as if you have toured the world in a day.

Other not to miss attractions in the city include Shenzhen Museum, Shenzhen Grand Theater, He Xiangning Art Gallery, and Guan Shanyue Art Gallery. Additionally, Shenzhen is a shoppers' paradise with such options as Louhu Commercial City, Dongmen Laojie or the Old Street, and Huaqiang Bei Rd. Above all, Shenzhen provides tourists visiting the destination with superb accommodation as well as dining options.