Shenzhen by District: Yantian, Home to Beaches and Seafood

Shenzhen by District: Yantian, Home to Beaches and Seafood
By Dana Westfield , eChinacities.com

Yantian District in Shenzhen, across the water from Hong Kong, is best known for its beaches and seafood. The area boasts two of the city’s most famous beaches and plenty of shops selling fresh fish. Once only known for industry and tourism, Yantian is now an up and coming spot to live in Shenzhen. With the new One City plaza in Shatoujiao, OCT East Amusement Park and other attractions, the district has a lot to offer. Yantian district will finally be accessible by metro in 2016 with the construction of Line 8. Once it is better connected to the city, Yantian will definitely be one of the most popular places to live and go out in Shenzhen.

Shenzhen by District: Yantian, Home to Beaches and Seafood
Photo: Colin Tsoi

To do

1) Xiaomeisha Beach

 A quick ten minute bus ride (or a scenic bike ride down the coast) from the often overcrowded Dameisha shore, Xiaomeisha is a smaller and cleaner beach well worth the 30 RMB entrance fee. Of course, the beach often gets crowded on weekends and holidays so it is best to go during the week to beat the hordes of sunbathers and swimmers.

The beach is surrounded by gorgeous deep green mountains and has a clear view to the mountains of Hong Kong across the bay on a clear day. The beach also offers (for a fee) parasailing, a crazy Wipe-Out-esque obstacle course, a zip line, and Jet Ski rides. Luckily, the water is clean enough to swim unlike many beaches in the area!

Getting there: take the 103 or 103B bus to Xiaomeisha stop  (小美沙站) (the last stop in Yantian for the route).

2) Chung Ying Street

 Chung Ying Street is a street in Yantian istrict with a very interesting and unique history. The street is on the border between Yantian and Hong Kong and each nation owns one side of the street. The small town on the border flourished historically until Hong Kong decided to close the border area after the Second World War.

 It was once famous for shopping but has now become run down. However, its interesting history and joint ownership makes it a unique aspect of Yantian and the Chinese government has recently built a museum to attract tourists that tells of the area’s history. Travelers technically must cross the border into Hong Kong to see the street even though it is jointly owned.

Getting there: take bus 68, B619, or B785 to Shashen Lukou stop (沙深路口站).

3) Minsk World & Boardwalk

Minsk World is an old former Soviet aircraft carrier that now floats in the bay in Shatoujiao, Yantian. Curious folk can pay 100 RMB to board the aircraft carrier. The boat is beautifully lit at night. There is a fairly long wooden boardwalk along the side of the water next to the boat, perfect for night strolls on the bay or daytime jogs. The beautiful bay looks over the mountains of Hong Kong, a city known for its beautiful natural areas.

Getting there: take the 103 or 103B to Yantian Qu Zhengfu stop (盐田区政府站).

4) Wutong Mountain

Wutong Mountain is often referred to as the “heart of Shenzhen”, especially by residents who live in the beautiful small towns scattered throughout the hills.  Hiking Wutong Mountain is definitely a must for adventurers living or traveling in Shenzhen. The views from the Yantian side are especially magnificent, with an ocean view from the top. However, be prepared to spend most of your day hiking – the climb can take hours!

While the mountain itself is in Luohu District, there are two trails that start in Shatoujiao, Yantian. One is the Yantian Hospital Trail which is average difficulty and the other is the Wutong Yantian Management Station trail which is less difficult.

Getting there: take bus 68 or B625 to Wutong Shan Gongyuan stop (梧桐山公园站).

5) Xiaomeisha Sea World

Xiaomeisha Sea World is a massive aquarium in Yantian that features all different sorts of exotic sea animals. Highlights include the many different kinds of sharks on display, including the giant whale shark. The aquarium also boasts live shows with dolphins, sea lions and seals. However, it is China, so expect crowds and not so great conditions for our animal friends. Still, the sea world makes an interesting outing for the younger ones or anyone who loves sharks, dolphins, turtles or polar bears. 

Getting there: take bus 103, 103B, 364, 380, 380B, 387, E11 or M207 to Xiaomeisha stop  (小美沙站).

6) OCT East Amusement Park

OCT East is Shenzhen’s “Disney World.” The park is owned by Happy Valley, the company that owns the large theme park at Windows of the World in downtown Shenzhen. However, OCT East is a whole different story. The park is massive and beautiful, nestled among the lush green mountains. The park has two smaller parks within it: Tea Valley and Knight Valley. Tea Valley is a botanical garden with a Swiss village and Knight Valley is an amusement park with rides.

Getting there: take bus 909 to Chaxiu stop (茶溪谷站).

To eat and drink

1) The Office

The Office is a small convenience store near Dameisha beach in Yantian that serves PBR on tap and cheap imported liquor. The small store also sells cheeseburgers and pizza and puts up little chairs and tables outside for patrons to hang out at.

Getting there: take bus 306 to Meisha Yiyuan stop (梅沙医院站).

2) Sheraton Dameisha Brunch

Capri Restaurant in the Dameisha Sheraton hosts one of the best Sunday brunches in the city. The selection is Asian and Western and the restaurant boasts beautiful ocean views.

Getting there: take bus 103, 103B, 308, 308A, 380B, 387, B703, J1, M207, M362, N21 to Meisha Jiedaoban stop (梅沙街道办站).

3) BestTwo Beer

The newest edition to Yantian’s tiny but growing nightlife and bar scene. BestTwo Beer is a bottle shop in Shatoujiao’s One City, a newly built chic outdoor mall space. One City is a big deal for the up and coming district, boasting numerous coffee shops, and hip restaurants including upscale seafood, sushi and pizza.  

Getting there: take the 103 or 103B to Yantian Qu Zhengfu stop (盐田区政府站).

Hong Kong Border Crossing

Shatoujiao Border: Yantian has a small border into Hong Kong. The border is never extremely busy because most Shenzhen residents do not know about it. It is open from 7:00 am to 9:00 pm. The border is accessible by bus from Hong Kong and by bus and taxi in Shenzhen.

Getting there: take bus 68, B619, or B785 to Shashen Lukou stop (沙深路口站).

Warning:The use of any news and articles published on eChinacities.com without written permission from eChinacities.com constitutes copyright infringement, and legal action can be taken.

Keywords: Yantian District Shenzhen districts

5 Comments

All comments are subject to moderation by eChinacities.com staff. Because we wish to encourage healthy and productive dialogue we ask that all comments remain polite, free of profanity or name calling, and relevant to the original post and subsequent discussion. Comments will not be deleted because of the viewpoints they express, only if the mode of expression itself is inappropriate.

briankeithallen1

I am inquiring a job position as a drama teacher in the English language. I have over 25 years of professional experience in the entertainment industry; as an actor, stunt-specialist, scriptwriter and producer. I have taught within three years, (ages 5-Adults) Drama, English, and PE in China. I’m looking forward to returning to a quality institution and be an asset for the students, the school and its community. Thank you.

May 05, 2023 03:15 Report Abuse

oxana212

Lovely

Oct 28, 2021 06:27 Report Abuse

oxana212

Yay

Sep 15, 2021 07:27 Report Abuse

anmolsingh008

Nice Article. Can anyone give more details about Bao'an district. Is it nice place for residence. And how far is this from city center.

Jul 13, 2015 15:57 Report Abuse

jtjustice

hey guys, bout the office, that is the wrong bus. There's the 1 bus, m207, 207, 387 and also the J1 stops but down the street a bit.

Nov 19, 2014 18:39 Report Abuse