Local Culture, Historical Sites and Folk Customs

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Mazu Temple

This Tianhou Temple is over 800 years old. It was a key location on the ancient Maritime Silk Road. Back in old days, overseas trade was very active here. Lots of trading ships sailed overseas for business, and local fishermen went out fishing. Up to this day, Mazu is still the sea-protective goddess for people living along China's coast. Merchants and fishermen would come to worship her, praying for safe voyages, a safe return home and a prosperous life.

China Merchants Museum

China Merchants Museum presents the development of China's modern national industry and commerce, as well as the great transformation brought by the reform and opening-up. Visitors can learn how Shenzhen grew from a small fishing village into a modern international metropolis.

Lunch, authentic Hakka cuisine

The literal meaning of "Hakka" is "guest families". The ancestors of the Hakka people originally lived in northern China. Due to ancient wars, they migrated south to Guangdong in several large-scale waves. Local residents called these newcomers "Hakka", meaning people living away from their hometowns, and the name has been kept ever since. Hakka cuisine preserves ancient culinary traditions from the Central Plains. It is cooked in a simple way, with rich, salty-savoury flavours. It is one of the well-known Guangdong culinary styles.

Nantou Ancient Town

With over 1,700 years of history, Nantou Ancient City is the shared historical starting-point for Shenzhen, Hong Kong and Macau. It is not just a museum-like site — local residents still live here today. Old houses have been repurposed into cafes, tea houses, restaurants, craft shops and exhibition spaces. You get a wonderful mix of ancient heritage and modern creative vibes, full of real-life local atmosphere.

Urban Village

46 years ago, Shenzhen had just over 3,000 people. Now it has about 18 million, with less than 2% original locals. Many locals work as landlords. Shenzhen has many urban villages for low-cost rental housing. Take Baishizhou: it covers 0.6 square kilometres, home to 140,000 people. Its population density is around 230,000 people per square kilometre. Only 1,800 are native villagers; the rest are migrant renters. You can see real working-class life here.

Splendid China Folk-Culture Village

China is vast, and travelling all across the country takes a great deal of time. At Splendid China Folk-Culture Village, you can view miniature replicas of China's famous scenic spots. There are also 28 authentic 1:1 ethnic minority villages, showcasing the customs of China's 56 ethnic groups. The park offers all-day performances, local food, intangible-cultural-heritage handicrafts, as well as the spectacular iron-fire show, an intangible-cultural-heritage performance.

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