"The thing I despise most about SZX is the intense amount of walking that it entails.

Yes, there can be a lot of walking at Shenzhen Airport, but not nearly so much as at Hong Kong Airport. It's just that passengers seem to expect a long walk for an international flight, but not a domestic one.

Apart from lengthy walks and the industrial dreariness of the location, Shenzhen Airport is amazing: the architecture, of the departure hall in particular, is stunning, and resembles nothing so much as a cathedral of flight. It's well planned, with the transport annex particularly convenient, though the Metro station isn't ready yet, unfortunately. There's even a seating section set aside for passengers staying the night between flights.

If you've got the opportunity, I'd say Shenzhen Airport is worth passing through for the experience; a cookie cutter airport it is not.

http://www.dezeen.com/2013/11/26/stu...ional-airport/