The Luohu Market is a massive building, five stories tall, with hundreds of tiny shops selling everything from Chinese souvenirs to clothing, handbags, and many other fashion accessories. Visitors also come here for the toys, electronic gadgets, memorabilia, and traditional Chinese artifacts that can be a good addition to any home. Of course, it is also the place to shop for a large variety of inexpensive Chinese replicas of famous international brands.

Most of the staff speak English (enough for them to sell their products), so you’ll have no problem communicating with them. Haggling is not only permitted but it is a must, so do your best to get yourself a great deal. But beware of high-pressure sales tactics and scams.

The mall also has other businesses like dental clinics, salons for manicures and acrylic nails, and massage parlors at affordable prices.

If you are visiting Shenzhen, I recommend finding a some type of accommodation near where you will be spending your time. Shenzhen is a huge city! So if you plan on going to the Luohu market quite a bit, then you might want to find something near the market or in a central part of town that’s near transportation, like the subway.

There are a lot of hotels to choose from and luxury to budget prices. You can also find affordable hostels and even some of those cool “pod” hotels / hostels!

You can also find Airbnb’s in Shenzhen too, if you are staying longer and want more of an apartment style place to stay.

Shenzhen is PACKED with stuff to do on any given day. Bargaining at the markets is just one of MANY other things you can do. Explore nightlife, see the sights etc.

Most travelers kick off their trip to Shenzhen with shopping and eating. But there’s so much more to do and see here.

Check out a few attractions you’ll want to add to your list:

• Window of the World. Considered the number one attraction inside the city, Window of the World is a collection of over 100 replicas of world landmarks. The theme park is focused on European sights, with recreations of Paris’s Eiffel Tower and Rome’s Coliseum, just to name a few. The laser and light shows are also pretty impressive. This is a great place to bring the kids.
• Lianhuashan Park. Located in the heart of Shenzhen, Lianhuashan Park is a breath of fresh air amidst the concrete jungle. The park is centered on a hill from which you can get amazing views of the city. You’ll find places where you can enjoy a picnic or even fly a kite.
• Terracotta Warriors at the Folk Village. The Splendid China Folk Village serves as an excellent introduction to the history, art, culture, and architecture of China. It offers replicas of the nation’s most popular attractions, including the Terracotta Warriors and the Great Wall of China.
• Diwang Mansion. One of the tallest buildings in Shenzhen, the Diwang Mansion is a great place to visit to get a good panoramic view of the city. On the 69^th floor, you’ll find telescopes that allow you to view the details of Shenzhen. Plus, you can see all the way to the Hong Kong border.
• Shenzhen Museum. The museum of the city is an excellent place to learn about the area’s centuries-old history and culture. You’ll get a good understanding of the timeline of events leading up to the economic boom of the early 1980s.
• Wutong Shan. If you want to get away from the city and see what nature has to offer, Wutong Shan is unmissable. It is Shenzhen’s highest mountain, and most trails take about four hours to complete. Once you are at the top, you will enjoy some amazing views of the city. From the top, it usually takes only two hours to come back down, so hiking the Wutong Shan mountain is doable as a day trip.

I didn’t find a whole lot of food inside the Luohu market itself. But there are little shops all around outside of the market if you get hungry.

Chinese Cuisine

Cooking is an important part of Chinese culture. According to historical records, the Chinese people already had grilled fish and other foods some 5,000 years ago. Chinese cuisine thus has a very long history and developed and matured over the centuries. It is characterized by fine ingredients, an array of flavors and spices, precise processing, and attention to the amount of fire used. Each local cuisine has its own characteristics, but it is divided into four major schools – Sichuan, Shandong, Huaiyang, and Guangdong (Cantonese). 

Shenzhen Cuisine

The traditional food in Shenzhen is primarily Cantonese style. But as a migrant city, Shenzhen offers everything for everyone – from traditional home cooking to Japanese foods and Western-style dishes. But the city is most popular for its Cantonese cuisine that known for being tender and fresh. Some of the foods that the people of Shenzhen are most fond of include oysters, roasted goose, dim sum, congee, Cantonese sausages, and deserts like ginger milk curd and mango mochi.

Street Food in Shenzhen

While street food is slowly being replaced by more upscale restaurants and coffee shops even in China, in Shenzhen, street-side skewers are still popular among those that want to grab a quick bite to eat. Located right in the Luohu District, Dongmen is a prime destination for those that want to buy all sorts of snacks and wholesale goods. You can find stuff like fried chicken, grilled squid, shellfish, stinky tofu, Takoyaki, and many other dishes you’ll definitely want to try.

The Luohu Market in Shenzhen is a favorite of Hong Kong day-trippers, being located right next to the Luohu border crossing. The mall was built in 1994 to capitalize on the closer ties between China and Hong Kong. Also known as Luohu Commercial City, this multistory mall is located where the city’s main train station is based. It is basically the first taste of Shenzhen for many travelers.

Located on the east bank of the Pearl River estuary and part of the Guangdong province, Shenzhen is a major sub-provincial city renowned for its vibrant economy. The oldest evidence of humans in this area dates back to the mid-Neolithic period. Human activity has been seen ever since, and the ancient town which is now Shenzhen was established more than 600 years ago.

Some say Shenzhen was actually born in 1979 when it was declared a special economic zone. Prior to this, it was a small border city of only 30,000 inhabitants. From 1980, Shenzhen grew at a rapid rate thanks to the local and foreign capital invested here. This phenomenal growth also stimulated the production of poultry, livestock, and vegetables in the area. Today, Shenzhen is a flourishing city where many workers and professionals choose to relocate.

China has been an integral component of international trade for several centuries. The Silk Road is a prime example of China’s trade history. The road connected Asia to the Mediterranean Sea and opened up long-distance trading. This era is known as the Han Dynasty. Moving forward, under Emperor Zhu Di, the country launched several ships to other parts of the world such as Arabia and East Africa. Here, the Chinese people traded pottery and silk in exchange for wool and exotic animals.

In the modern era, China has again become a key player at a global level. The market reforms introduced by the government in the 1970s have allowed the nation to open up to the world and reap the rewards.

A small traditional agricultural and fishing town, Shenzhen started to engage in processing and small production trades in 1979. In 2018, it became a regional financial center and a global technological innovation center. The city is now manufacturing premier high-tech products, such as mobile phones, gadgets, and high-end medical equipment. It is safe to say that the city’s successful development philosophies have inspired China to change its approach in the modern world.