Yes, really! The spine of Futian’s Central Business District, from Lianhuashan Park south to the Shenzhen Convention & Exhibition Centre, offers landscaped, palm-lined boulevards that see relatively little foot traffic, especially on weekends when the suits are off work.

With pedestrianized cobbled lanes, diverting street art, free galleries and plenty of cafes and bars in which to make pit stops, OCT Loft feels tailor-made for strolling.

​A wooden boardwalk winds its way around the artificial lake that contains the Minghua, a vintage cruise liner, at Shekou’s famous lifestyle plaza.

One of Shenzhen’s older skyscrapers, this 384-meter office tower was Asia’s tallest building when it topped out in the mid-1990s. Built at the rate of four floors every nine days and completed in just 40 months, it was a widely touted exemplar of “Shenzhen speed.”

Overlooked by the thousands of shoppers on this busy Luohu street is a former clan guildhall, which sometimes has gallery exhibits inside.

This cafe, which offers expertly-made coffees, delicious cookies and desserts, doubles as a tiny coffee-themed museum with interesting exhibits that include exquisite Turkish coffee utensils and a 1920s European bean grinder.

​Luzui Ecological Way, located in the Dongshan Luzui Tourist Area, is renowned as one of China's most beautiful coastal roads.

Dapeng Bay coastal trail is an excellent choice for a leisurely walk with stunning sea views.