While Shenzhen doesn't receive large numbers of international tourists, its annual contingent of domestic visitors is massive. Facilities prosper as a result, and there are more grand-scale entertainment venues here than in most Chinese cities.Theme parks in Shenzhen were the number-one draw for Chinese tourists, especially families. The amusement parks and water parks here are known all over the country. Even away from the largest parks, dozens of outdoor parks and gardens that are especially busy during the weekend.
The facilities in Shenzhen are also world-class. It boasts the world's largest golf course, excellent spa and massage facilities and the best beaches in China.
The central park in Shenzhen, Lianhua covers several hundred acres and is popular with locals on the weekend. It features gardens, hiking trails to the top of the mountain and picnic facilities. Community activities including aerobic and dance classes are regularly staged here.
Bigger than Hong Kong's Disneyland, Happy Valley is split into nine themed sections. It's an ideal stop for children, as it features a water park and districts called ‘Cartoon City' and ‘Adventure Hill'. Restaurants and on-site accommodation cater mainly to Chinese tourists.
This massive family theme park features recreations of world icons like the Eiffel Tower, Taj Mahal and Grand Canyon. Elaborate dance shows are staged in the evening, taking spectators on an over-the-top tour of Chinese culture and world history.
The main attraction in this park is a scaled-down version of the entire country, though the word ‘miniature' barely applies. The park encompasses 24 villages, complete with recreated traditional houses, cobblestone streets, and scale models of sites like the Forbidden City, the Great Wall and the Potala Palace.
China's first safari park is enormous, playing host to 10,000 animals representing hundreds of species. Beyond the safari-themed rides and animal-viewing opportunities, the park also features circus acts, an amusement park and an aquarium. Touristy and intensely Chinese, this park floods with tourists during the National Holiday in October.
Shenzhen's beaches are situated on the Dapeng Peninsula. Locals are enthusiastic about Chinese Geographic Magazine recognition in 2006, when it named Dapeng Peninsula one of China's top-10 most beautiful coastlines. The beaches here are best visited during the summer.
Shenzhen became a Chinese golfing mecca soon after its early development in the 1970s. Golf enthusiasts today consider it one of the best places in China to enjoy the sport. Among its many famous greens is Mission Hills Golf Course, the world's largest golf course with a staggering 216 holes.
