Quick question Shenzhen

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  1. #1

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    Quick question Shenzhen

    Hi, am planning an impromptu trip to Shenzhen tomorrow - I'm an australian so will get the Special Economic Zone Tourism Visa.

    After some googling on where to go / what to see i decided i wanted to go to the Dafen oil painting village but having read a bit on the net it seems that although its in Shenzhen its actually outside the economic zone? does this mean ill get busted if i only have that special visa?

    Anyhow if i dont get a reply back i dont think ill risk it. (spending time in a chinese jail isnt on my schedule)

    For those interested ill probably be going to the Minsk world (decomissioned russian aircraft carrier) and Lain hau mountain park.

    Thanks for any help!


  2. #2

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    I've never encountered any controls when leaving the SEZ proper, afaik they were stopped a few years ago. However, if you run into any trouble - say a minor traffic accident - and the police checks your passport, you might get a ticket. I don't think they'd put you in jail, at least as they don't catch you in Beijing. And if, isn't that a nice story for the guys back home


  3. #3

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    I've never had any checks either when leaving the SEZ and going further into China.

    If you're really worried about it just get your visa from the consulate in Wan Chai before you go. Same price and you get a whole China visa.


  4. #4

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    Quote Originally Posted by Stu79:
    I've never had any checks either when leaving the SEZ and going further into China.

    If you're really worried about it just get your visa from the consulate in Wan Chai before you go. Same price and you get a whole China visa.
    Even if you for example just put Shenzhen on the form?

  5. #5

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    10 or more years ago, the checkpoints around the Shenzhen Special Economic zone were manned. Now vehicles just drive straight through.

    For the OP, there is a slight risk if you are stopped and checked, but only very slight.


  6. #6

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    Quote Originally Posted by Stu79:
    I've never had any checks either when leaving the SEZ and going further into China.

    If you're really worried about it just get your visa from the consulate in Wan Chai before you go. Same price and you get a whole China visa.
    I was under the impression a visa took 3 days? i was thinking of going tomorrow - is the consulate open on a sunday?

    im a bit of a wuss so will probably skip the visit and tour within the zone - there is always next time i guess.

    Thanks for the replies.

  7. #7

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    Quote Originally Posted by gordonleslie:
    I was under the impression a visa took 3 days? i was thinking of going tomorrow - is the consulate open on a sunday?

    im a bit of a wuss so will probably skip the visit and tour within the zone - there is always next time i guess.

    Thanks for the replies.
    The visa office is open Monday to Friday. So, if without a full visa yet, you can only get the one at the border if you intend to go tomorrow. If you want to get a full visa next week, you can get one in 24 hours by paying extra, and there are some agencies, such as this one, that can get it same day.
    Last edited by drumbrake; 06-02-2010 at 03:32 PM.

  8. #8

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    As mentioned above, the border controls for getting to Dafen are no longer there. You can get a taxi easily too these days as there is a new road. Dafen has a good Hakka place to eat in the little cobblestone square, for a casual, authentic meal.
    Da Fen, Lianhuashan and Minsk World are all shown on the Map of Shenzhen which you can buy from Dymocks bookstores and it has a bilingual taxi guide too.
    If you are Australian, you might like to drop in at Xpats Bar, Central Walk (Hui Zhan Zhong Xin metro station) next to NYPD Pizza. It is run by two Australians and is a friendly place to drop in for a drink on the way home. Actually they sell the Map of Shenzhen too.
    Only take licensed taxis (photo displayed on righthand side of dashboard) and you will be fine. (If there is no photo taxi licence shown, get another cab.)

    Last edited by dantart; 06-02-2010 at 04:54 PM. Reason: left word out

  9. #9

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    well i never ended up doing the trip because it rained all day that sunday. Will plan for it better the weekend after chinese new year.

    Thanks for all the info though!


  10. #10

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    There are some other good places to go: Shenzhen Museum (at Shao Nian Gong Station) - brand new and really interesting; the 24-hour Book City next door (some quirky cafes and shops); Lianhuashan Park, also very close to Shao Nian Gong - pleasant walk through leafy gardens up the hill to Dong Xiao Ping's statue and a great view at the top. Quite different from Hong Kong and a good day's excursion.
    But you would really be best off getting hold of the map from Dymocks as there is nothing in English.
    After CNY will be much less crowded at the borders and more shops and attractions will be open although Xpats bar at Central Walkway and McCawleys at Coco Park are open all through the holiday. (Near McCawleys there's a very good inexpensive restaurant run by a French lady called The Kitchen, also open over CNY.)
    If you want to stay overnight, there are 14 five star hotels all very, very competitive with rates for internet bookings.