Gone are the days when Hongkongers headed to Shenzhen just to shop. In recent years, our northern neighbour has reinvented itself as a one-stop entertainment hub where it's possible to do pretty much anything you can do in Hong Kong, but make a much smaller dent in your wallet. So it's no wonder more and more people are spending nights across the border to explore the city's burgeoning attractions.
A major beneficiary of the boom in cross-border tourism has been Shenzhen's spa industry, whose bathhouses are fast becoming an alternative to hotels, because they also offer overnight accommodation.
A spokesman for Zhao Hua Blind Man Massage Centre in Luohu says the number of massage parlours has mushroomed. 'When we started, there were only a few,' he says. 'Now, they're all over the place.'
About 90 per cent of Zhao Hua's clients are from Hong Kong and many have been customers since the centre opened in 1998. And as the number of spas has grown, so has their scale and what they offer.
Chinese bathhouses, which are most numerous and flamboyant in the city's Luohu and Futian districts, no longer offer only themed spas, sauna and massage. Increasingly, they function as one-stop indoor resorts, offering all manner of pampering experiences.
Queen Spa, probably Shenzhen's largest and swankiest bathhouse, offers a wide range of services - including beauty treatments such as manicures and pedicures - and facilities ranging from billiards rooms to cybercafes, bars, cinemas and karaoke rooms. Its decor is lavish and features jumbo-sized pools and spacious leisure areas.