Shenzhen may not beat Hong Kong for luxury goods, but its prices are incomparable
Many visitors from Hong Kong get no further into Shenzhen than the cavernous shopping centre sitting just on the other side of the border. This is a pity, because although it's true that you can buy just about anything your heart desires at the Shenzhen Commercial Centre for less than half of what it should cost, you can partake of many other, quite distinct, forms of retail therapy elsewhere in the city.
Shenzhen may not be able to compete with Hong Kong at the top end of the spectrum for genuine, international-brand luxury goods, but it has attractions of its own, and is much cheaper if you are prepared to look past the brand. Moreover, the variety is truly astonishing. There are modern, fancy shopping malls like CITIC City Plaza, traditional pedestrian streets like the Dongmen Shopping Plaza, and high-tempo high-tech computer centres in Huaqiangbei to choose from. Following are some recommendations.
Just ten minutes' drive from Luohu is Dongmen, Shenzhen's oldest shopping area lining a well-maintained pedestrian street. Although there are large shopping centres here, such as Sun Plaza and Rainbow, carrying all manner of locally branded diamonds, watches, shoes, bags, cosmetics, and clothes for sale at reasonable prices, the true appeal of Dongmen lies in its smaller shops and vibrant youth culture. Like Tokyo's Ginza, Dongmen attracts hordes of local teens and twenty-somethings who hang out in the plaza drinking pearl milk bubble tea and eating grilled meat and snacks of all sorts. These shoppers seem to flock more to the smaller stores like Zhongwei and Baohualou, which focus on the fashion needs of the trend-setting (or trend-following) crowd.
Close to the western entry of the boulevard is the enormous Dongmen Shoes City. While picking out good footwear from among the sea of cheap shoes can be a daunting task, if you persevere you might find a couple of nice pairs at remarkable prices. This is an especially good place for items that are best described as 'cute' - Hello Kitty dolls, plush toys, and other assorted gift-type items. But don't let that soften your haggling skill.
Dongmen obviously has no shortage of restaurants, from familiar chains like McDonalds, Pizza Hut and Cafe de Coral to smaller local food stands serving grilled meats, fried foods, and other tasty local snacks. Hongkongers looking for a junk food fix will not be disappointed.