Six essential Shenzhen experiences

When it was built in 2017, Shenzhen’s 599-metre Ping An International Finance Centre was the fourth tallest building on the planet. Hitch a ride on the high-speed elevator to the 116th-floor observation deck, where visitors with nerves of steel can stand on glass floor panels. From the north corner, you can see the coiling roof and transparent façade of the Museum of Contemporary Art and Urban Planning – worth a closer look, once you’re back at ground level. Inside, it’s equally impressive, with its giant chrome bubbles, swooping glass ceilings and floating staircases. Other eye-catching buildings include the wavy Civic Centre and the avant-garde Shenzhen Concert Hall.

Expansive public parks and green spaces were built into Shenzhen’s urban planning, so you’re never far from a patch of mood-boosting greenery. Just by the hotel, take a stroll through Lotus Hill Park, where pensioners practise tai chi under banyan trees, couples ballroom-dance in the plazas, and children chase colourful kites. If you’re looking for something more vigorous, head for the forested Nanshan mountains on the outskirts of the city. Here, a series of moderate-level hiking trails lead to the 336m-high summit, with panoramic views of Shenzhen Bay and, in the distance, Hong Kong.

With its curve of golden sand, deep-blue waters and volleyball courts, Dameisha beach is a slice of Southern California in big-city Shenzhen. Around 40 minutes’ drive east of Mandarin Oriental, Shenzhen, the beach is set on Mirs Bay, and backdropped by the mountains. It’s incredibly popular at the weekends and on public holidays, but visit during the week and you’ll practically have it all to yourself.