Tag: shenzhen

day trip – gankeng dec 19

Discover something different in Shenzhen when we visit the Gankeng Hakka Village, one of the original ten villages predating modern Shenzhen. The Hakka people migrated over the centuries from central China into Guangdong and Fujian provinces and play an important part in the culture of coastal Guangdong. This village was founded in the early Qing dynasty.

On our visit we can see the old village and sample Hakka rice wine and street snacks. Lanterns and red wish ribbons stream the streets around the old well, a central part of the original village. A new museum complex has rotating exhibits of classical Chinese artwork and artifacts. In recent years the area is being developed by OCT as a rural village experience with architecture from other provinces in China like Guizhou, Anhui, and Guangxi. A must in Gankeng village is a hearty Hakka lunch with dishes like squirrel fish, Hakka niang tofu, and clay baked chicken. Not many know that such a traditional place like this exists within our modern city.

Thursday, December 19
Approx. 8:30-15:00

Price: Adult: 225RMB, Child: 130RMB
Includes Private transportation, Lunch, entrance ticket to Phoenix Valley museum, and tour by Greta

How to Book:

Contact Greta on WeChat (Scan QR code)

If adding me for the first time, be sure to mention Trips or Gankeng in your introduction.

or contact me by email (chinatealeaves @ yahoo.com)

day trip – gankeng november 11

Discover something different in Shenzhen when we visit the Gankeng Hakka Village, one of the original ten villages predating modern Shenzhen. The Hakka people migrated over the centuries from central China into Guangdong and Fujian provinces and play an important part in the culture of coastal Guangdong. This village was founded in the early Qing dynasty.

On our visit we can see the old village and sample Hakka rice wine and street snacks. Lanterns and red wish ribbons stream the streets around the old well, a central part of the original village. A new museum complex has rotating exhibits of classical Chinese artwork and artifacts. In recent years the area is being developed by OCT as a rural village experience with architecture from other provinces in China like Guizhou, Anhui, and Guangxi. A must in Gankeng village is a hearty Hakka lunch with dishes like squirrel fish, Hakka niang tofu, and clay baked chicken. Not many know that such a traditional place like this exists within our modern city.

Monday, November 11
Approx. 8:30 – 16:00

Price: Adult: 225RMB, Child: 130RMB
Includes Private transportation, Lunch, entrance ticket to Phoenix Valley museum, and tour by Greta

How to Book:

Contact Greta on WeChat (Scan QR code)

If adding me for the first time, be sure to mention Trips or Gankeng in your introduction.

or contact me by email (chinatealeaves @ yahoo.com)

outing – fairy lake october 26

Let’s get out for a half day exploration of Shenzhen’s botanical treasures and a special temple!

On Saturday October 26 we will go together to the Fairy Lake Botanical Garden (仙湖植物园). The lush settings of the large park are the green lungs and heart of Shenzhen, sitting at the foot of Wutong Mountain, Shenzhen’s tallest peak.

The Botanical Garden features 1,349 acres of wild and landscaped tropical vegetation, all around the namesake Fairy Lake, or Lake of the Immortals. Stately trees line the winding roads wrapping the lake, over which looks the grand Hongfa Temple. 

The Hongfa Temple was founded and began construction in 1983 by abbot Ben Huan. This Buddhist temple was the first new temple to be built in China after the founding of the People’s Republic of China in 1949. Its courtyards ascend the hill in a series of bright tile roofs. Visitors light incense and bow before the grand Mahavira Hall. A new phase of the temple has recently been opened to the west side, with an elegant pagoda rising up in the mist surrounding Wutong Mountain. 

After visiting the temple, we will explore some of the best botanical areas of the garden. Hundreds of miniature bougainvillea and evergreens make up the bonsai garden, a hothouse is filled with diverse cacti and succulents, and a pine garden evokes feelings of Japan with an arcing red bridge punctuating the framed view.

A half day out allows you to enjoy the greatness of nature in the subtropics of Shenzhen. 

Saturday October 26
9:30 Meet Huangbeiling metro
Bus to Fairy Lake Botanical Garden
10:30-11:00 Visit Hongfa Temple
11:00-13:00 Visit Botanical areas
13:00 Finish, continue to visit the gardens or lunch on your own

Price: 58RMB per person, includes garden entrance ticket, shuttle bus inside the park, bus from Huangbeiling, and a bottle of water

How to Book:

Contact Greta on WeChat (Scan QR code)

If adding me for the first time, be sure to mention Trips or Fairy Lake in your introduction.

or contact me by email (chinatealeaves @ yahoo.com)

day trip – dapeng october 24

The clear October sun is still shining, so let’s get ourselves to the seaside, for some history and a bit of fun.

Shenzhen is bookended in history, with Dapeng Ancient Fortress holding down the eastern extremity. Dapeng Ancient Fortress is a fortified village that dates back to the Ming dynasty, predating the urbanization of Shenzhen, and was in charge of controlling pirates off the coast of China. Today it still retains many narrow alleys to walk, with people living a quiet life in the village and shops selling traditional foods and gifts.

We’ll start the day with a tour of the grand Dongshan Temple, a renovated Buddhist temple near the Dapeng Fortress. Wander the ornate courtyards, discovering the halls of Guanyin, the eighteen arhats, and perhaps even the place where the legendary mythical bird or Roc, or “Peng,” landed to give Dapeng its name.

Jiaochangwei is another former military village, still situated directly on the seaside. Now it takes the form of a young Chinese surf town, with many colorful hostels and restaurants for a weekend beach getaway. Western food is available for lunch in the cafes of Jiaochangwei.

Delve into local history while enjoying the sea air in Dapeng and Jiaochangwei.

Thursday October 24
Adults: 200RMB
Kids 1.2-1.5m: 150RMB

includes round trip private shuttle, guide of temple, fortress, and beachside walk by Greta. Lunch additional.

SWIC or ABNet members receive a discount of 20RMB off each

Departure: 8:00am
Return: 5:00pm
will be confirmed based on guest needs

Private shuttle picks up from Shekou (for other pick ups contact me). Journey to Dapeng about 1.5 hours.

Minimum 6

How to Book:

Contact Greta on WeChat (Scan QR code)

If adding me for the first time, be sure to mention Trips or Dapeng in your introduction.

or contact me by email (chinatealeaves @ yahoo.com)

day trip – dapeng october 12

The clear October sun is still shining, so let’s get ourselves to the seaside, for some history and a bit of fun.

Shenzhen is bookended in history, with Dapeng Ancient Fortress holding down the eastern extremity. Dapeng Ancient Fortress is a fortified village that dates back to the Ming dynasty, predating the urbanization of Shenzhen, and was in charge of controlling pirates off the coast of China. Today it still retains many narrow alleys to walk, with people living a quiet life in the village and shops selling traditional foods and gifts.

We’ll start the day with a tour of the grand Dongshan Temple, a renovated Buddhist temple near the Dapeng Fortress. Wander the ornate courtyards, discovering the halls of Guanyin, the eighteen arhats, and perhaps even the place where the legendary mythical bird or Roc, or “Peng,” landed to give Dapeng its name.

Jiaochangwei is another former military village, still situated directly on the seaside. Now it takes the form of a young Chinese surf town, with many colorful hostels and restaurants for a weekend beach getaway. Western food is available for lunch in the cafes of Jiaochangwei.

Delve into local history while enjoying the sea air in Dapeng and Jiaochangwei.

Saturday October 12
Adults: 200RMB
Kids 1.2-1.5m: 150RMB

SWIC or ABNet members receive a discount of 20RMB off each

includes round trip private shuttle, guide of temple, fortress, and beachside walk by Greta. Lunch additional.

Departure: 8:00am
Return: 5:00pm
will be confirmed based on guest needs

Private shuttle picks up from Shekou (for other pick ups contact me). Journey to Dapeng about 1.5 hours.

Minimum 6

How to Book:

Contact Greta on WeChat (Scan QR code)

If adding me for the first time, be sure to mention Trips or Dapeng in your introduction.

or contact me by email (chinatealeaves @ yahoo.com)

day trip – dapeng october 3

It’s the biggest travel holiday in China, so let’s get ourselves to the seaside, for some history and a bit of fun.

Shenzhen is bookended in history, with Dapeng Ancient Fortress holding down the eastern extremity. Dapeng Ancient Fortress is a fortified village that dates back to the Ming dynasty, predating the urbanization of Shenzhen, and was in charge of controlling pirates off the coast of China. Today it still retains many narrow alleys to walk, with people living a quiet life in the village and shops selling traditional foods and gifts.

We’ll start the day with a tour of the grand Dongshan Temple, a renovated Buddhist temple near the Dapeng Fortress. Wander the ornate courtyards, discovering the halls of Guanyin, the eighteen arhats, and perhaps even the place where the legendary mythical bird or Roc, or “Peng,” landed to give Dapeng its name.

Jiaochangwei is another former military village, still situated directly on the seaside. Now it takes the form of a young Chinese surf town, with many colorful hostels and restaurants for a weekend beach getaway. Western food is available for lunch in the cafes of Jiaochangwei.

Delve into local history while enjoying the sea air in Dapeng and Jiaochangwei.

Thursday October 3
Adults: 200RMB
Kids 1.2-1.5m: 150RMB

SWIC or ABNet members receive a discount of 20RMB off each

includes round trip private shuttle, guide of temple, fortress, and beachside walk by Greta. Lunch additional.

Departure: 8:30am
Return: 4:30pm
will be confirmed based on guest needs

Private shuttle picks up from Shekou (for other pick ups contact me). Journey to Dapeng about 1.5 hours.
Return back into town may take longer as it is the Golden Week. We can discuss as a group the return time; either try to return as normal by around 4:30/5:00pm, or stay later in Dapeng area and come back after dinner. Staying later may affect price. Discuss with Greta for more details.

Minimum 6

How to Book:

Contact Greta on WeChat (Scan QR code)

If adding me for the first time, be sure to mention Trips or Dapeng in your introduction.

or contact me by email (chinatealeaves @ yahoo.com)

day trip – dapeng august 15

Summer is here, and it is high time to get ourselves to the seaside, for some history and a bit of fun.

Shenzhen is bookended in history, with Dapeng Ancient Fortress holding down the eastern extremity. Dapeng Ancient Fortress is a fortified village that dates back to the Ming dynasty, predating the urbanization of Shenzhen, and was in charge of controlling pirates off the coast of China. Today it still retains many narrow alleys to walk, with people living a quiet life in the village and shops selling traditional foods and gifts.

We’ll start the day with a tour of the grand Dongshan Temple, a renovated Buddhist temple near the Dapeng Fortress. Wander the ornate courtyards, discovering the halls of Guanyin, the eighteen arhats, and perhaps even the place where the legendary mythical bird or Roc, or “Peng,” landed to give Dapeng its name.

Jiaochangwei is another former military village, still situated directly on the seaside. Now it takes the form of a young Chinese surf town, with many colorful hostels and restaurants for a weekend beach getaway. Western food is available for lunch in the cafes of Jiaochangwei.

Delve into local history while enjoying the sea air in Dapeng and Jiaochangwei.

Thursday August 15
Adults: 200RMB
Kids 1.2-1.5m: 150RMB

SWIC or ABNet members receive a discount of 20RMB off each

includes round trip private shuttle, guide of temple, fortress, and beachside walk by Greta. Lunch additional.

Departure: 8:30am
Return: 4:30pm
will be confirmed based on guest needs

Private shuttle picks up from Shekou (for other pick ups contact me). Journey to Dapeng about 1.5 hours.

Minimum 6

How to Book:

Contact Greta on WeChat (Scan QR code)

If adding me for the first time, be sure to mention Trips or Dapeng in your introduction.

or contact me by email (chinatealeaves @ yahoo.com)

daytrip – dapeng july 16


Summer is here, and it is high time to get ourselves to the seaside, for some history and a bit of fun.

Shenzhen is bookended in history, with Dapeng Ancient Fortress holding down the eastern extremity. Dapeng Ancient Fortress is a fortified village that dates back to the Ming dynasty, predating the urbanization of Shenzhen, and was in charge of controlling pirates off the coast of China. Today it still retains many narrow alleys to walk, with people living a quiet life in the village and shops selling traditional foods and gifts.

We’ll start the day with a tour of the grand Dongshan Temple, a renovated Buddhist temple near the Dapeng Fortress. Wander the ornate courtyards, discovering the halls of Guanyin, the eighteen arhats, and perhaps even the place where the legendary mythical bird or Roc, or “Peng,” landed to give Dapeng its name.

Jiaochangwei is another former military village, still situated directly on the seaside. Now it takes the form of a young Chinese surf town, with many colorful hostels and restaurants for a weekend beach getaway. Western food is available for lunch in the cafes of Jiaochangwei.

Delve into local history while enjoying the sea air in Dapeng and Jiaochangwei.

Tuesday July 16
Adults: 200RMB
Kids 1.2-1.5m: 150RMB

SWIC or ABNet members receive a discount of 20RMB off each

includes round trip private shuttle, guide of temple, fortress, and beachside walk by Greta. Lunch additional.

Departure: 8:30am
Return: 4:30pm

Private shuttle picks up from Shekou (for other pick ups contact me). Journey to Dapeng about 1.5 hours.

Minimum 6

How to Book:

Contact Greta on WeChat (Scan QR code)

If adding me for the first time, be sure to mention Trips or Dapeng in your introduction.

or contact me by email (chinatealeaves @ yahoo.com)

day trip – shuilian march 2

Announcing an easy day out with your family, to a mountain park covered in waterfalls and fresh green nature!

We’ll be traveling to Shuilian Mountain Park in nearby Dongguan. Dongguan actually has the greatest number of parks of any city in China, even more than Shenzhen. Shuilian is beautiful park located less than 1.5 hours drive from Shekou, making for a convenient day out with your family!

We’ll have a leisurely departure at 9:00am from Shekou. After arriving at the park, we’ll take a modest hike part way up the mountain past waterfalls and taking in views of the lake below. This hike is uphill, but not very steep. We’ll be climbing about 150m at an easy pace and we can take our time enjoying the forest views.

At the top of our hike, we’ll sit and eat our picnic lunch next to a pool fed by the waterfall. You may feel as if we’re in a fairy world amongst the streams and shady groves of trees. This time of year the mountain is ablaze with yellow flowering trees, and kapok flowers being harvested for herbal tea. After lunch we’ll visit the park’s ancient temple, a small stone sanctuary dating back to the Song dynasty. After viewing the temple, we’ll have some free time for exploring more of the mountain or taking a boat out on the lake. We’ll arrive back in Shekou at 5:30pm.

Adults: 220RMB
Kids 1.2-1.5m: 160RMB

SWIC or ABNet members receive a discount of 15RMB off each 

includes round trip private shuttle, entrance to the park and ancient temple, and guided tour by Greta. Please bring a packed lunch, water, and any snacks you will want for the bus ride. Boat ride or any other fees not included.

Saturday, March 2
Departure: 9:00am
Return: 5:30pm

Private shuttle picks up from Shekou (for other pick ups contact me). Journey to Shuilian about 1.5hours.

Minimum 10, maximum 14

How to Book:

Contact Greta on WeChat (Scan QR code)

If adding me for the first time, be sure to mention Trips or Waterfall in your introduction. 加我的时候，请备注Trips或Waterfall.

or contact me by email (chinatealeaves @ yahoo.com)

day trip – dapeng fortress january 10


A week of warmer temperatures is coming, and it will be high time to get ourselves to the seaside, for some history and a bit of fun.

Shenzhen is bookended in history, with Dapeng Ancient Fortress holding down the eastern extremity. Dapeng Ancient Fortress is a fortified village that dates back to the Ming dynasty, predating the urbanization of Shenzhen, and was in charge of controlling pirates off the coast of China. Today it still retains many narrow alleys to walk, with people living a quiet life in the village and shops selling traditional foods and gifts.

We’ll start the day with a tour of the grand Dongshan Temple, a renovated Buddhist temple near the Dapeng Fortress. Wander the ornate courtyards, discovering the halls of Guanyin, the eighteen arhats, and perhaps even the place where the legendary mythical bird or Roc, or “Peng,” landed to give Dapeng its name.

Jiaochangwei is another former military village, still situated directly on the seaside. Now it takes the form of a young Chinese surf town, with many colorful hostels and restaurants for a weekend beach getaway. Western food is available for lunch in the cafes of Jiaochangwei.

Delve into local history while enjoying the sea air in Dapeng and Jiaochangwei.

Thursday January 10
Adults: 200RMB
Kids 1.2-1.5m: 150RMB

SWIC or ABNet members receive a discount of 20RMB off each

includes round trip private shuttle, guide of temple, fortress, and beachside walk by Greta. Lunch additional.

Departure: 8:30am
Return: 4:30pm

Private shuttle picks up from Shekou (for other pick ups contact me). Journey to Dapeng about 1.5 hours.

Minimum 6

How to Book:

Contact Greta on WeChat (Scan QR code)

If adding me for the first time, be sure to mention Trips or Dapeng in your introduction.

or contact me by email (chinatealeaves @ yahoo.com)