"Journey to the West"

This article was originally published on November 28, 2011, in the Shenzhen Daily.
The information was accurate at that time, and may be outdated now. Use with caution.

The friends from "Journey to the West" (at Mazu Temple, Nanshan)

Back in the Tang Dynasty, the Chinese monk Xuanzang (玄奘) made a solitary journey through the harsh western deserts all the way to India. In over 17 years, through more than 70 countries, he gathered sacred texts and artifacts to bring back to China. He thus became one of the most important figures in Chinese Buddhism.

Splendid China and the China Folk Culture Villages

This article was originally published on December 24, 2010, in the Shenzhen Daily.
The information was accurate at that time, and may be outdated now. Use with caution.

Main Gate of Splendid China and the Folk Cultural Villages

I have a secret: I've never been inside Windows of the World, nor have I been to Happy Valley. The one is too flashy, the other too scary.

No, when I'm in the mood for one of Shenzhen's "Big Three" theme parks, I head straight for Splendid China and the Folk Cultural Villages. I'm a big fan of Chinese culture, and this two-sided park has it all.

Meridian View Centre (Diwang Building)

This article was originally published on July 30, 2010, in the Shenzhen Daily.
The information was accurate at that time, and may be outdated now. Use with caution.

The Diwang ("King of the Earth") used to be Shenzhen's tallest building

On the next clear sunny day, head for the Meridian View Centre.

On the 69th floor of the Diwang Building, at a height of 384 meters, it's touted as "the first high-rise theme sightseeing and entertainment scenic spot in Asia" and has had millions of visitors since its opening in 1999.

Evergreen Resort

This article was originally published on September 5, 2011, in the Shenzhen Daily.
The information was accurate at that time, and may be outdated now. Use with caution.

The hotel and conference center at the foot of Nanshan Mountain

Despite being highly developed, Shenzhen continues to surprise me with the amount of green space available to explore right in the midst of the urban environment.

On a blistering hot day recently, my wife and I went to the Evergreen Resort (Qingqing Shijie 青青世界, which gives its alternate English name, "Qing Qing World").

China Merchant Group Historical Museum

This article was originally published on June 24, 2011, in the Shenzhen Daily.
The information was accurate at that time, and may be outdated now. Use with caution.

Sign on the guard house in front of the Museum

The Shenzhen Daily recently ran a "List of revolutionary tourist attractions" on the travel page, calling my attention to several sites I hadn't seen.

So last weekend we visited the China Merchant Group Historical Museum at 21 Yanshan Road, Shekou, just a 10-minute walk from Sea World. Bus 226 stops at Shekou Keji Dasha (蛇口科技大厦), then walk up Gongye 4th Road.

Guangming Farm

This article was originally published on August 13, 2010, in the Shenzhen Daily.
The information was accurate at that time, and may be outdated now. Use with caution.

You can pet and feed a baby cow at Guangming Farm

Shenzhen's city dwellers know that the outlying districts provide escape from the urban beat. But did you know that Guangming District contains a working farm where you can engage in a host of relaxing activities?

The Guangming Farm (Guangming Nongchang 光明农场 ) is the place. Located far from Shenzhen's center, squeezed between Bao'an and Dongguan, the place takes a while to reach, but that's the price you pay to get away from the city!

Phoenix Mountain (Fenghuang Shan)

This article was originally published on August 6, 2010, in the Shenzhen Daily.
The information was accurate at that time, and may be outdated now. Use with caution.

The temple on Phoenix Mountain, Bao'an

Take a full day trip to Fenghuangshan (Phoenix Mountain) in Bao'an's Fuyong Town, not far from the Shenzhen Airport.

Three Parks in Luohu

This article was originally published on August 27, 2010, in the Shenzhen Daily.
The information was accurate at that time, and may be outdated now. Use with caution.

A quiet redwood forest in Honghu Park

Since the year 2000, Shenzhen has been renowned as an "International Garden City" with large amounts of green space. Several of those spaces are in Luohu, the older, more settled portion of Shenzhen's central area.

Fairy Lake (Xianhu) Park

This article was originally published on June 21, 2010, in the Shenzhen Daily.
The information was accurate at that time, and may be outdated now. Use with caution.

The front gate of Fairy Lake Park features a statue of a "fairy" (xian).

Many of you will know of Xianhu ("Fairy Lake") Botanical Gardens as the site of Shenzhen's largest Buddhist temple, Hongfa Si. We'll talk about that another day, but today let's focus on the rest of the park--and what a park it is.

Donghu Park (East Lake) and Shenzhen Art Museum

This article was originally published on July 16, 2010, in the Shenzhen Daily.
The information was accurate at that time, and may be outdated now. Use with caution.

Lush foliage surrounds East Lake

On a hot summer afternoon, head over to Donghu (East Lake) park for a relaxing stroll by the waterside.

A Gathering of Heroes in Zhongshan Park

This article was originally published on April 12, 2010, in the Shenzhen Daily.
The information was accurate at that time, and may be outdated now. Use with caution.

Monumental face of Sun Zhongshan (Sun Yat-Sen) at the west end of Zhongshan Park

If you've ever headed west on Shennan toward the crossing into Bao'an, you may have noticed a large sculpture of a kind-looking man's face, with sad eyes and a drooping mustache, gazing from the north side of the road.

Xiasha Village Plaza (Update)

This article was originally published on October 31, 2011, in the Shenzhen Daily.
The information was accurate at that time, and may be outdated now. Use with caution.

A new [in 2011] frieze depicting Huang family history

I recently had a chance to visit the almost-finished Xiasha Village Plaza in Futian, and it is impressive.

Xiasha Village Plaza

This article was originally published on November 12, 2010, in the Shenzhen Daily.
The information was accurate at that time, and may be outdated now. Use with caution.

A statue of the popular Eight Immortals at Xiasha Village

The first taste I had of Shenzhen's origins was in Xiasha Village, near Shangsha Village.

One Day in Shenzhen (and Lizhi Park)

This article was originally published on April 5, 2010, in the Shenzhen Daily.
The information was accurate at that time, and may be outdated now. Use with caution.

Like the pictures below, this one shows friends having fun posing with the statues

Debuted in the year 2000, the "One Day in Shenzhen" installation (which inspired the name of both my Shenzhen Daily column and this blog) is a unique homage to the everyday people who make this city tick.

The Shenzhen Ancient Art Museum

This article was originally published on October 1, 2010, in the Shenzhen Daily.
The information was accurate at that time, and may be outdated now. Use with caution.

The front of the museum, set back from Shennan Thoroughfare

In another article I wrote about the (then) new Shenzhen History Museum. This time, let's visit the Shenzhen Ancient Art Museum, next to Lizhi Park, which is sometimes referred to as the "Old Hall" of the Museum.

Shenzhen Children's Palace (Shaonian Gong)

This article was originally published on November 7, 2011, in the Shenzhen Daily.
The information was accurate at that time, and may be outdated now. Use with caution.

The Children's Palace (Shaonian Gong) with a planetarium

On a recent Tuesday afternoon, I had the pleasure of setting foot in the "Children's Palace" (Shaonian Gong) for the first time.

Left Fort, Chiwan

This article was originally published on March 4, 2011, in the Shenzhen Daily.
The information was accurate at that time, and may be outdated now. Use with caution.

Entrance to the barracks area; the gun platform is up some stairs inside.

Once again, we find that the "brand-new" city of Shenzhen has much deeper roots than we suspected.

On the way to Chiwan on the 226 bus (which you can now catch at Shekou Sea World stop [海上世界] on the new Shekou Metro Line) there is a stop called Zuo Pao Tai (左炮台), or "Left Fort" (literally "Left Cannon Platform"). If you get off there and walk up the road winding around the nearby hill, you'll find the partially-restored remains of a gun emplacement from the days of the Anglo-Chinese Wars or "Opium Wars" of the 19th century.

Shenzhen Central Library and Book City

This article was originally published on March 8, 2010, in the Shenzhen Daily.
The information was accurate at that time, and may be outdated now. Use with caution.

Plaza between the central Book City (left) and the main library (out of frame,
right). Straight ahead is City Hall. Lianhua Shan (Lotus Hill) is behind me.

Shenzhen boasts a number of wonderful public spaces. One of the largest stretches from the Citizens' Center ("City Hall") all the way to Lianhuashan, or Lotus Hill, Park in the center of Futian.

Meilin Park

This is a slightly longer version of an article that was originally published on January 4, 2010, in the Shenzhen Daily.
The information was accurate at that time, and may be outdated now. Use with caution.

"Four Seasons Square," with a sundial at the center and seasons marked around the edge

Meilin Park is a great place to spend an afternoon. Located against the hills next to Meilin Reservoir, the park contains over a thousand litchi trees more than 100 years old. There's an area dedicated to senior activities, a children's playground, an exercise area, ponds, and plenty of strolling paths.

Yuan Bo Yuan (International Garden Exposition)

Note: This article was originally published on December 21, 2009, in the Shenzhen Daily.
The information was accurate at that time, and may be outdated now. Use with caution.

The T. Rex near the main (south) entrance on Shennan points the way to the "Dinosaur World" exhibit.

Yuan Bo Yuan opened back in September of 2004 as the "5th China International Garden and Flower Exposition." The previous expositions had been temporary installations, but our city kept this one open as a park offering both kitsch and culture.