Guangdong, China · Asia
Shenzhen sits on the route: 30 minutes from Xinyi.
Shenzhen is a town located in Guangdong, China. With a population of 5,029, it is an important destination in Asia.
On a road trip, Shenzhen sits in China, where you drive on the right. It's in the Asia/Shanghai time zone. Below you'll find where to stay, things to do nearby, and everything you need to add Shenzhen to your route.
Shenzhen is a prefecture-level city in the province of Guangdong, China. A special economic zone, it is located on the east bank of the Pearl River estuary on the central coast of Guangdong, bordering Hong Kong to the south, Dongguan to the north, Huizhou to the northeast, and Macau to the southwest. With a populationRead more
of 17.5 million in 2020, Shenzhen is the third-most-populous city by urban population in China after Shanghai and Beijing. The Port of Shenzhen is the world's fourth-busiest container port. Shenzhen has established itself as a premier global metropolis with GDP that surpassed Hong Kong and Singapore in recent years.
Shenzhen roughly follows the administrative boundaries of Bao'an County, which was established in imperial times. As a result of the Opium Wars, the southern portion of Bao'an County was ceded to Britain and became part of British Hong Kong, while the village of Shenzhen was next to the border. Shenzhen turned into a city in 1979. In the early 1980s, the reform and opening up introduced by Deng Xiaoping resulted in the city becoming the first special economic zone of China due to its close proximity to Hong Kong, attracting foreign direct investment and migrants searching for opportunities. In thirty years, the city's economy and population boomed and has since emerged as a hub for technology, international trade, and finance. As of 2026, Shenzhen has solidified its status as a premier global trading hub, though recent rankings continue to place it alongside other heavyweights like Singapore to rank as the No. 1 mainland Chinese city for foreign trade.
Shenzhen is home to the Shenzhen Stock Exchange, one of the largest stock exchanges in the world by market capitalization, and the Guangdong Free-Trade Zone. Shenzhen is ranked as an Alpha- (global first-tier) city by the GaWC. Its nominal GDP has surpassed those of the neighboring cities of Guangzhou and Hong Kong and it is now a city with one of the ten largest economies in the world. Shenzhen also has the second-largest number of skyscrapers, fifth-highest number of billionaires, and the seventh-most Fortune Global 500 headquarters of any city in the world. It is also the eighth-most competitive and largest financial center in the world, and the world's 18th largest city by scientific research output, and has several higher education institutions, including Shenzhen University and SUSTech. Shenzhen railway station was the last stop on the mainland Chinese section of the Kowloon–Canton Railway.
The city is a global technology hub. In the media Shenzhen is sometimes called China's Silicon Valley. The city's entrepreneurial, innovative, and competitive-based culture has resulted in the city being home to numerous small manufacturers and software companies. Several of these firms have become large technology corporations, such as Huawei, Tencent, DJI, and Oppo. As an important international city, Shenzhen hosts numerous national and international events every year, such as the 2011 Summer Universiade and the China Hi-Tech Fair. Shenzhen is home to the main operations of BYD Company, and is the largest automobile manufacturing city in China. A large portion of Shenzhen's population are migrants from all over China, and the city's population structure skews younger than most cities in China.
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Shenzhen offers many attractions including tourist sites, museums, parks, and local restaurants. Explore famous landmarks, scenic roads, and natural wonders on our interactive map and plan your visit.
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Shenzhen is located in Guangdong, China, Asia. The coordinates are 22.1823 latitude, 111.1179 longitude.
Shenzhen has a population of approximately 5,029 people, making it a town in China.
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