Shenzhen travel guide by district
From Futian’s skyline to the older streets of Nantou and the beaches of Dapeng. Learn Shenzhen’s districts, find the places worth traveling for, and get to know the city in ten short sections.
- Population
- 17.98 million (end of 2024)
- Area
- 1,997.47 km²
- Districts
- 9 districts and Dapeng New Area
- Languages
- Mandarin, with Cantonese and Hakka
- Founded
- City in 1979, special economic zone in 1980
- Best months
- October through December
Ten areas, one Shenzhen
Futian
The civic and business hub around the Civic Center and Lianhuashan Park. The Ping An Finance Center stands farther south, with Huaqiangbei’s electronics streets to the east.
From Bao’an on the western shore to Dapeng’s eastern peninsula. Select an area to read it, then play the map and try finding all ten. Shenzhen has nine administrative districts plus Dapeng New Area, shown separately here. Smaller places such as Shekou and Huaqiangbei sit within them. The separate Shenshan cooperation zone is outside this map.
A little Shenzhen before you go
Geography & significance
A border city in the Pearl River Delta.
Shenzhen sits in Guangdong beside Hong Kong and the Pearl River estuary. Hong Kong supplied investment, commercial connections and manufacturing expertise during the city's early reform-era growth. Shenzhen's growth is part of a wider regional production network, alongside places such as Dongguan, Guangzhou and Hong Kong. Suppliers, workers, goods and capital connect these urban economies.
Luohu developed around commerce and the border, Futian became a civic and financial center, and Nanshan grew through industry and technology. Shenzhen's spread reflects several connected phases of development. Container terminals connect Shenzhen and the surrounding manufacturing region to world markets. The city's global importance rests on logistics and production as well as software and research.
Commonly asked2 questions
- Why was Shenzhen's position beside Hong Kong important to its rise?
- Shenzhen sits in Guangdong beside Hong Kong and the Pearl River estuary. Hong Kong supplied investment, commercial connections and manufacturing expertise during the city's early reform-era growth.
- What does the Pearl River Delta help explain about Shenzhen's economy?
- Shenzhen's growth is part of a wider regional production network, alongside places such as Dongguan, Guangzhou and Hong Kong. Suppliers, workers, goods and capital connect these urban economies.
The places you came to see
Shenzhen Civic Center
The broad-roofed civic landmark at the heart of Futian. Start with the surrounding public space to understand the city’s central axis, then look back from Lianhuashan.
Fifteen landmarks, museums, parks and waterfront stops. Essential is our starting shortlist for a first visit; worth a detour helps you go further. These are editorial priorities, not visitor-number rankings.
Keep going one place deeper
When you have had your fill of Shenzhen, the country around it has a guide of its own, and so does the language you will hear on its streets.
District boundaries: OpenStreetMap contributors. ODbL 1.0. District and coastline data retrieved September 2026, simplified for display. Dapeng is shown separately from Longgang. This learning map is not a survey or a boundary authority. Boundary source and license. Guide references: Shenzhen Government city profile, Shenzhen travel guide, Shenzhen Metro information. Check official attraction sites for current admission and access details. Photographs are from Wikimedia Commons and credited on each one.