Most day-trippers to Shenzhen make the mistake of not venturing beyond Luohu. There is a lot more to shopping in Shenzhen than just Luohu Commercial City. Only two stops on the Metro to Laojie Station - 老街站 will take you to the busy maze of pedestrian streets that is Dongmen . Take Exit “A” and head towards a group of traditional Chinese-style buildings. Here you’ll find the first ever McDonald’s in China (opened in 1990)! Nearby is the Sun Plaza, a big shopping centre full of name brands. In the surrounding lanes you’ll find loads of Chinese brands.

Culture Square 文化广场 is a good place to sit and people watch when the pace becomes too hectic. For another kind of culture head to Boya Arts City 博雅艺术城. Here you’ll find musical instruments, art supplies, including calligraphy brushes, picture framing and a bookstore specializing in art books (some in English.)

Across the road is Hongji Handicraft City 鸿基工艺城. The first floor offers mainly small items of jade, teapots, brass, fountains and water features. On the second floor you’ll find larger works of art such as sculpture and vases.

The Dongmen area is one of the oldest parts of Shenzhen. It was established about 300 years ago, leading it to be alternatively known as “Laojie”, or “Old Street” 老街.

Dongmen is accessible from exits to the Laojie metro station 老街站 and lies just north of Shennan Dong Road. “Dongmen” usually refers to more than just “Dongmen Road”, encompassing the entire series of connecting commercial streets. These streets were closed off to automobile traffic in 1999.

The variety of shopping in Dongmen is wider than Luohu Commercial City, but has a similar focus on Chinese-made goods. Beauty parlor services are very popular in Dongmen and the department store Maoye (MOI) has locations on both ends of the road. Despite being limited to pedestrian traffic, Dongmen can become very crowded on nights, weekends, and holidays, giving it a similar feel to Nanjing Road in Shanghai. -Victoria Steven