Shenzhen Travel 2026: Hong Kong to Shenzhen Day 2 Guide
Explore Shenzhen's surprising blend of old and new on Day 2 of our adventure! Discover how we traveled from Hong Kong, found amazing local food, and a truly comfortable hotel.
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Explore Shenzhen's surprising blend of old and new on Day 2 of our adventure! Discover how we traveled from Hong Kong, found amazing local food, and a truly comfortable hotel.
Shenzhen, China Travel Day 2 | From a 'countryside' vibe to dazzling Shenzhen... Hong Kong to Shenzhen, What to Eat in Shenzhen /w Sister Y
After all that trouble arriving in Shenzhen yesterday, and moving to the 'Sweet Dreams Hotel' for a truly deep sleep, it was finally the morning of Day 2 of our Shenzhen, China trip.
The room itself was really clean and nice, which was a relief,
but the neighborhood right outside seemed a bit rural, not particularly appealing.
Yet, the cars parked right in front of the hotel were
all dazzling and luxurious,
creating such a huge discrepancy…
As expected of Guangdong Province, the street trees in Shenzhen are
all palm trees like that...
Shocked by the cheap, smoky hotel we had in Shenzhen earlier,
we moved to the 'Sweet Dreams Hotel'.
A 'healthy sleep hotel,' you say...
How can a hotel's name be 'Healthy Sleep Hotel'!
Living up to its name,
the hotel bed was the softest and bounciest I've ever laid on in my life,
and I truly slept like a log.
But having beds displayed like that on the first floor of the hotel is
a bit perplexing, isn't it?
It feels very 'Chinese' somehow.
The guest rooms here are fine,
but the first-floor lobby and the floors below share space with shops, so it absolutely reeks of cigarette smoke…
Still, the inner rooms are decent for the relatively cheap price, so I guess it's okay.
Anyway, in the morning, I headed out in front of the hotel to try some local Shenzhen food.
It was incredibly… intensely local, you know?
To the point of being bewildering.
I was a bit taken aback by this very local scene, something I'd never witnessed in Shanghai.
Oh, right, in front of the Shenzhen hotel, there's KFC, Pizza Hut, and Starbucks,
so it seems convenient, but
this is what Pizza Hut looks like…
Pizza Hut also sells burgers,
and the actual pizza is a bit flimsy.
Everyone, I've told you many times… don't eat burgers or similar things in China.
Anyway, as I was walking,
I found a restaurant that seemed like a popular spot with lots of people,
so I went in.
Since Shenzhen is also in Guangdong Province,
Cantonese noodle roll, or something like that — anyway, that dish.
I decided to try my favorite dish again.
Wow!
Can you believe the prices in Shenzhen?
Breakfast for only 6 yuan!
Even in Shanghai, many local restaurants don't speak English at all,
but
in Shenzhen, you absolutely, positively
have to use a translation app.
Even with a translator, it was a bit hard to order correctly...
But, anyway, it wasn't incredibly delicious.
ㅠㅠㅠ
So, I bought something else from a place next door that looked like a popular Shenzhen eatery,
but
this one was just 'meh' too... Sigh.
Shenzhen truly has so many motorcycles and electric bikes.
Be careful not to get hit by them!
And this is what the inside of the Shenzhen Healthy Sleep Hotel room looks like!
Now, I'm going to wash up and go pick up my sister who's coming over from Hong Kong to Shenzhen.
But since it's my first time in Shenzhen too, I really didn't know what to do...
I frantically searched Xiaohongshu for things to do in Shenzhen, China.
Shenzhen Vanke Plaza... it seems there's a park that feels a bit like a futuristic city.
This place is...
Shenzhen's downtown area, especially the Futian District, is quite famous and full of amazing night view hotspots like this.
Among them, the most famous is
Shenzhen The Theatre
📍 Shenzhen Grand Theatre
5018 Shen Nan Dong Lu, Luo Hu Qu, Shen Zhen Shi, Guang Dong Sheng, China 518010
#ShenzhenTravel #shenzhen #shenzhen #ShenzhenChina #ShenzhenFutian #HowToGetToShenzhenFutianStation
#WhatToDoInShenzhen #ShenzhenTravelRecommendations #ShenzhenItinerary #ShenzhenNightViews #ShenzhenHotspots #ShenzhenTheTheatre
The interior is beautifully decorated in a Moroccan style, and if you sit outside at night enjoying shisha,
it truly feels like a slice of Morocco right here in China!
📍 Shenzhen Grand Theatre
5018 Shen Nan Dong Lu, Luo Hu Qu, Shen Zhen Shi, Guang Dong Sheng, China 518010
However, once my sister arrived, our lodging for the night was a bit far, so it seemed we wouldn't have time to go there.
What a pity!
We really should have gone the night before.
But the previous night,
there were so many motorbikes on the street that
I was a bit scared to go out alone.
Lush and green everywhere!
Southeast Asia? Nope!
This is Shenzhen, China.
A warm country, a warm city – it's the best!
However, as I was taking a Didi (ride-hailing service) to Futian Train Station to pick up my sister coming from Hong Kong to Shenzhen,
suddenly, a city of cities unfolded before my eyes!
I was a bit taken aback!
The Shenzhen I saw on the first day felt like a rural area,
but now it feels like a village and a city are directly side-by-side.
What's more, near Futian Train Station in Shenzhen,
there are tons of financial companies,
and it's not just the buildings that are sparkling;
even the people suddenly transformed into Yeouido-style folks! ;;;
Suddenly, just like that. Shenzhen = a forest of skyscrapers!
It's truly transformed.
But, oh, Shenzhen's weather is hot!
And even in Shenzhen's skyscraper forest, which reminds me of Yeouido,
while a bit less intense, there are still tons of electric bikes and motorcycles.
Seriously, it doesn't even compare to Shanghai's delivery motorcycles! No, really!
Be careful of the motorbikes!
In Shenzhen, definitely stick to DiDi taxis and never ride a motorcycle.
(On Xiaohongshu, you see motorbike accident videos all the time...)
#ShenzhenTravelTips #ChinaTravelSafety #ShenzhenSecurity
Shenzhen, China,
has good public safety, but
you REALLY need to watch out for traffic.
It's alarmingly easy to get hit by a motorbike...!
Shenzhen Futian Station is incredibly vast...
It feels like there are about five thousand exits.
One of the buildings connected to an exit
is where Shenzhen's clubs (the ones I researched before... but never got to visit)
are all clustered together.
Oh, so they were this close all along!
#FutianToHongKong #ShenzhenToHongKongTravel #HowToGetToHongKongAirportFromShenzhen
It was so hot that I was moving around underground,
when suddenly, I found myself connected to what looked like a shopping mall in Shenzhen.
My face was a mess from the heat,
but my expression started to smooth out as the shopping mall was so cool.
This area near Shenzhen Futian
really felt like Yeouido,
and I felt glad I dressed a bit more conservatively that day.
There are still tons of motorbikes on the road.
Here in Shenzhen's Futian financial district,
I had a feeling English would be understood.
There were also many people who looked somewhat like they were from Hong Kong.
I heard that many people live in Shenzhen and commute to Hong Kong because living in Hong Kong is so expensive.
And I remember all my smart friends who lived in Shenzhen were in finance...
Now, to pick up my sister who was coming from Hong Kong to Shenzhen,
I planned to go leisurely,
but time was tighter than I expected, so I ended up jogging a bit.
The train station felt like it was the size of Incheon Airport!
Even if you can't speak Chinese, you can navigate by following the pictorial signs.
So, I headed straight for the railway station where people arrive from Hong Kong!
If you get a bit confused along the way,
there are plenty of staff who look like police officers, and X-ray scanners at the station, so just go up to them,
turn on your translator, and ask them where the direction is for going to/coming from Hong Kong.
They'll kindly show you the way.
While waiting,
my sister hadn't appeared, and I was actually a little nervous.
Because my sister had a Hong Kong SIM card, I was 100% sure
she wouldn't have internet access once she arrived in China,
and since she didn't know how to use Alipay, she'd be completely penniless.
I absolutely HAD to meet her...
I absolutely had to find her as she got off...
Thankfully, we met quickly!
I heard that
while the train ride from Hong Kong to Shenzhen itself only takes about 15 minutes,
since this is still a border crossing,
they conduct airport-like inspections, which apparently takes quite a bit of time.
If you're someone who crosses the border daily, you might have a special pass or something that makes it smooth,
but for foreigners like us, it's really crucial to allow plenty of buffer time.
Otherwise, you could get held up, miss your train,
and end up having to buy another ticket!
Anyway,
after meeting my sister,
we went to COCO Park,
which is pretty famous in Shenzhen.
As we strolled along, I spotted a place that looked like a famous Shenzhen eatery,
practically bursting with Michelin stickers!
📍 COCO Park
268 Fu Hua San Lu, 中心城 Fu Tian Qu, Shen Zhen Shi, Guang Dong Sheng, China 518020
But it wasn't super crowded...
That's often the case in China –
even the most popular spots can have surprisingly ample seating, which is a blessing for foodies like us!
Oh, but unfortunately, this wasn't our final destination.
We headed to the
Chaohan Fresh Beef Hotpot (Shenzhen Futian Xinghe Heijin Branch) on the 3rd floor of Shenzhen COCO Park!
All thanks to Gemini's recommendation!
I've been to Haidilao countless times for hotpot in China before,
but this place felt even more upscale.
As soon as we sat down, they set out cherry tomatoes and side dishes.
We ordered something like a 'half-and-half' hotpot,
and that meat on the left side (the 'zuobian' as they say here – meaning 'left side')
that meat was absolutely insane (in a good way)! Seriously,
it was like short ribs that just melted in your mouth.
After eating some of it, you can add broth to that side to turn it into a spicy hotpot.
But seriously, how can meat just melt in your mouth like that?!
This was the most delicious thing I ate since coming to Shenzhen.
I really wish this would come to Korea...
Not like Chagee,
but please bring Bahali Hotpot!
#ShenzhenFood #ChinaShenzhenFood #ChinaShenzhenHotpot
#ShenzhenBahaliHotpot #ChinaBahaliHotpot
✔️ Bahali Chaohan Fresh Beef Hotpot (Shenzhen Futian Xinghe Heijin Branch)
📍 Bahali Haiji Beef Restaurant
44 Dong Yuan Lu, 蔡屋围 Fu Tian Qu, Shen Zhen Shi, Guang Dong Sheng, China 518027
📍Address
Chinese:
深圳市福田区福华三路268号 星河COCO Park 3楼
English: 3F, Xinghe COCO Park, No. 268 Fuhua 3rd Road, Futian District, Shenzhen, China 
Hours
: Daily 11 AM - 10 PM 
📍Directions (by Subway)
Take Shenzhen Metro Line 1 or Line 3 to 'Shopping Park Station (购物公园).'
> Exit B.
> Enter COCO Park.
> Take the escalator to the 3rd floor.
To be honest, I'd never ordered at a hotpot place in China myself before,
so I had no idea how much to order.
And with a bit of a desire to show off my 'Chineseness' to my sister... (?)
I ended up ordering way too much.
The kind student staff, probably thinking 'These Koreans don't know how much to order and are getting so much...',
advised us,
'Hmm... maybe try these first, and if it's not enough, you can always add more.'
Thank goodness they stopped us!
But seriously, everything was absolutely delicious,
and that skewer was seriously
out of this world!
There's a solid reason why I find myself longing for authentic Chinese food after coming back to Korea –
nothing beats the incredible flavors of the local cuisine!
Even though we ate until we were absolutely stuffed,
Only costing around ~$55
Shenzhen's prices are amazing!
#ShenzhenTravelCost #ShenzhenAffordableTravel
With our meal finished, now
we're off on a two-hour journey!
Off we go!
And we're headed straight for here!
#ShenzhenAdventures #ExploreShenzhen
As its name suggests, this hotel is said to have very plush and comfortable beds, making it ideal for a good night's sleep. However, a drawback is that the first-floor lobby shares space with the shops downstairs, leading to a cigarette smell.
The train journey itself from Hong Kong to Shenzhen is only 15 minutes, but due to border checks, it takes quite a bit of time, similar to an airport. Foreign travelers should allow ample time, as you might miss your train if you don't have a valid travel permit.
The area around Futian Railway Station has a 'city of cities' vibe, with many financial companies and dazzling buildings. People also adopt a 'Yeouido-style' (referring to Seoul's financial district), and shopping malls and clubs are interconnected, offering great convenience.
The half-and-half hotpot is popular at this restaurant, and the meat on the left side, in particular, was highly praised for melting in your mouth like short ribs. Even after eating to your heart's content, the cost was approximately ~$55.
There are a great many motorcycles and e-bikes in Shenzhen, so you must be extra careful not to get hit. The author recommends using Didi Taxi and strongly advises against riding motorcycles.
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