Shenzhen
 

I'm going to be in HK next month and just was reading LP and saw about the shopping in shenzhen.It is worth the trip out of HK?How is it getting across the border?This is my first time in HK and im kinda curious about this?
thanks
howie

Unless you're planning to buy a lot of stuff, the cost savings v. HK probably won't justify the hassel factor. I'm biased though because I have quite a bit of disdain for that place.

You can take a train to Shenzhen from the Kowloon Canton Railway Station. Don't know the price, though. Or maybe even a jetfoil-type ferry. Sometimes, those are faster. Check with your HK hotel's concierge. Border crossings and procedures take longer on the weekends.

But you're going to need a China visa which will cost you at least $50 depending on how fast you need it. Since, you're in NYC, apply at the Chinese Consulate in person. You can't do it by mail (direct to consulate) anymore and the US based visa service companies charge too much for their fees.

If it's your first trip to HK, I'd stick to exploring HK unless you'll be there for more than a week or unless there's something very specific you want in Shenzhen. You'll spend lots of time getting to and from Shenzhen, and it's a big place so it will take you time to get oriented -- you'll be spending lots of time and effort that could be spent enjoying HK shopping, exploring HK neighborhoods, or taking some time out in one of HK's parks.

It is very easy to Shenzhen from HK, including by bus, BUT WHY?? I personally do not like the place, and would avoid it. The thick brown smog is enough not to go there. Go to Guanzhou if you want to leave HK. Macau would also be more worthwhile.

You didn't say how long you'll be in Hong Kong. If it's more than 2 or 3 days, I would recommend a day trip to Shenzhen. It's a very different place than Hong Kong, and you'll get at least a taste of mainland China. You can definately get all sorts of goods at bargain prices, plus I think it's a fascinating place to visit if for no other reason than to just see the contrast. Be sure to NOT make the mistake that most Western tourists do in sticking only to the huge shopping malls that are within a couple of blocks of the border. Take at least an hour to just walk around a little.

On my first trip to Shenzhen, I spent half a day just walking around town (I probably walked at least 3 miles north of the border, and eventually reached residential areas). It was one of the highlights of my visit to Hong Kong.

This is definately the way to go. Take the KCR to Lo Wu station. The border is right there as you get off the train, and most of the shopping is right after you cross the border.

Actually, this is not true if you plan to visit only Shenzhen. It's true that a visa is required in advance to visit most of mainland China, but there is a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) Tourism Visa that's available for Shenzhen. In addition to being cheaper than a regular visa, the main advantage is that it is issued on the spot at the border, so you don't have to deal with a Chinese embassy/consulate or travel agency, or make any advance arrangements at all.

The SEZ visa costs HK$100, or about US$12. It is valid for a stay up to 5 days (well, really 5 nights so up to 6 days) in the Shenzhen SEZ. This gives you access to all of the city of Shenzhen, and probably some of the outlying areas, but does not extend as far as Guanzhou. Assuming you have a qualifying passport (which includes a US passport), after you cross into China, follow the crowd but keep left. Before reaching the immigration counters on the Chinese side, make a left u-turn and go up the (broken) escalator. At the top there will be an office where you fill out a short application, pay your HK$100, and wait about 10 minutes. You'll then get your passport back with a SEZ 5-day visa affixed which will let you proceed through the immigration checkpoint downstairs.

Steve M:

Thanks for your correction to my post. Didn't know about the Shenzhen SEZ visa. But what's going to keep someone (wanting to save a few bucks http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttravel_forum/wink.gif) from jumping back on another train to say Guangzhou (or beyond) and then returning to Hong Kong via Shenzhen on the train? How would the authorities know?

tbear

[This message has been edited by tbear (edited 07-08-2003).]

For one, when you check into a hotel the front desk will undoubtedly ask for your passport.

China is not the place for rule bending of this kind - just to save a few bucks. You could end up in a whole lot more hot soup.

To my knowledge, although illegal, there's nothing to prevent someone who entered the Shenzhen SEZ on a SEZ visa from traveling to Guangzhou. The problem will be getting back. All people coming into a SEZ must pass a special checkpoint even though it's within mainland China. Locals need special permission to enter the SEZ, otherwise everybody would just move to the SEZ. I would imagine that for foreigners, the fact that you were leaving the regular part of mainland China without having a valid visa for it would be noticed. And, if you tried to leave China from outside the SEZ (such as a by air from Guangzhou), this would definately be noticed.

Regarding the hotel issue that milehighj brought up, do hotels in mainland China routinely actually check the visa pages of the passport to make sure you're still "in status" (to borrow a US term)? I know that in many countries where I've been asked for a passport at check-in, they seem to use it to verify that the identity I registered under matches the passport, and to write down the passport number. I can't recall anyone actually flipping through the pages to check if I was still legally present in the country.

Why would an ordinary front desk clerk at a hotel check if you had the correct visa? Do they actually do that per their country's regulations? Never paid much attention if the clerk actually did that on my limited international travels. I know they need info from your passport such as nationality, passport #, & etc.

Yeah, I personally wouldn't take that chance myself just to save $40 or so. Being of Chinese descent, they just might treat me as an American traitor dog and give me an extra bullet to the back of my head. http://www.flyertalk.com/travel/fttravel_forum/wink.gif But there are always cheapskates who would bend the rules to save some money.

[quote]<font face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" size="2">Originally posted by tbear:

Quote:

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Why would an ordinary front desk clerk at a hotel check if you had the correct visa? Do they actually do that per their country's regulations? Never paid much attention if the clerk actually did that on my limited international travels. I know they need info from your passport such as nationality, passport #, & etc.

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My recent experiences support your hunch -- Chinese hotels seem increasingly willing to check in foreign guests without passports; moreover they rarely check visas.

Still, this is one of those situations where while the risk of getting caught may be quite low, the consequences could be costly and unpleasent. For example, a friend of mine who was studying in Beijing accidentally overstayed her visa by about 30 days. Upon departure, she was given the choice to pay $3000 or go to jail. In the end, she got the $3000 reduced to around $600, which she borrowed from a stranger in the airport and all was well. However, I think most would agree that it's best not to get into pickles like that in the first place.

The aforementioned Special Economic Zone (SEZ) Tourism Visa for Shenzhen is no longer HK $100. I went to two China Travel Service offices in HK (Kowloon and Wanchai) last month and inquired about this and both times was told the cost was HK $400. Even asked the concierge at the HK Intercontinental Hotel. He intially said HK $100 for US passport holders, but when he called someone to verify, he found out it had been raised to HK $400. Regular one time entry visa fee into China is HK $450 if applied for in Hong Kong at the China Travel Service offices. So you still save a little if you're just going to Shenzhen but not as much as before.

I seconded w/ Steve M that if you got couple days on hand, then a half or day trip to Shenzhen is def. an experience.. and, in my experience, I def. recommend KCR. It takes about half hours from Kowloon Tong (if you connect from MTR) or Hung Hom to Lo Wu (the border of HK and China). Only recommendation is don't go on Sat or Sun if you can. It's quite crowded on weekend. I enclosed KCR official link below:

http://www.kcrc.com

The one way fare from either station to Lo Wu is HK$33.

Regarding the SEZ tourism visa which you can get at Shenzhen border, I am not sure if they raised the fee. But, my friend did apply for one last Dec and he paid HK$100 for it. Below is the China travel service link for china visa info:

http://www.chinatravel1.com/english/...hinesevisa.htm

of course, the fees may not be current. Note that in HK, your china visa fee varies depends how fast you want it.