Traveling from Shenzhen to the Himalayan nation of Nepal is set to become significantly more convenient soon as plans for direct air links move forward.

Heavy rain and thunderstorms battered Shenzhen overnight into Thursday, disrupting flights at Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport and temporarily affecting traffic through the Shenzhen-Zhongshan Link tunnel, while multiple weather alerts remained in effect across the city this morning.

The 22nd China (Shenzhen) International Cultural Industries Fair (ICIF) officially opened today at the Shenzhen World Exhibition and Convention Center in Bao’an District, bringing together more than 120,000 cultural products and over 6,000 exhibitors from around the world.

Shenzhen will bring more locally made products, including drones, smartphones, jewelry and smart wearables, into departure tax refund stores as China rolls out a new round of measures aimed at improving shopping convenience for overseas travelers and expanding inbound consumption.

​The Foreign Affairs Office of Shenzhen Municipal Government, in collaboration with the China-EU Digital Association (ChinaEU) and the World Innovative Cities Cooperation Organization (WICCO), hosted the 2026 edition of the “Shenzhen Let You Know” event alongside the “New Frontiers in Industrial AI: Italian-Shenzhen Cooperation Roundtable” on May 18.

Shenzhen is accelerating a major expansion of its airport by planning a new terminal that allows passengers to transfer between flights and high-speed rail in as little as five minutes.

Shenzhen is expected to face heavy to torrential rain and severe thunderstorms from this afternoon through Friday, with authorities warning of flooding, traffic disruptions and strong winds.

The 22nd China (Shenzhen) International Cultural Industries Fair (ICIF) is set to host 310 overseas exhibitors from 65 countries and regions participating both online and offline.