A Chinese Getaway

The busy Shenzhen streets

On one side of me were the Hong Kong businessmen in their finely pressed Versace suits. On the other side were the few Chinese residents who’d beenallowed over the border and were returning with plastic bags packed to the brim and poking above the crowd were the baseball caps of the Western tourists with their digital cameras and “I love NYC” t-shirts, who were bound to be bombarded by people with flyers, offering cheap DVDs, handbags and watches when they got through immigration and walked into Schenzhen.

It was cramped and airless. The ceiling fans failed to relieve the exhausting effect of the 86 percent humidity, which had been predicted on a weather forecast I’d seen in my hotel room that morning. Still, I didn’t dare step out of line for the fear of being taken to some back room and interrogated by one of the hard-faced immigration officers, like you see in the movies. My brother, living and working in Hong Kong, had stood in this line many times before and explained that Chinese culture is all about “keeping face.” Respect for authority and elders is very important and being seen to make a mistake is highly embarrassing. The officers had to be strict and organised as they could lose their jobs over the smallest matter.

The journey so far had been easy. We’d taken the very efficient MTR (Mass Transit Railway i.e. the underground) from my hotel in Causeway Bay at 8am to the KCR train station. With an “Octopus card,” costing 75 Hong Kong dollars (about £4), a journey of about 5 stops only costs around 40p and the cards can be topped up at any point via machines. However, we went first class on the KCR, which cost £3 but it was worth paying the extra couple of quid not to be crammed in a small carriage for the 40-minute journey. Everyone suffered the same treatment at immigration into China and we stood in lines for about an hour and a half. Even though Britain handed Hong Kong back to China in 1997, a passport and visa is still needed to pass over the border and since the outbreak of sars there are also several medical forms to fill out. I began to understand why many tourists who visit Hong Kong are deterred from travelling to China.

The Shenzhen skyline

We walked out of the station to a skyline of gleaming downtown towers, each competing to be taller than the next, surrounded by foundations of new buildings that would no doubt spring up over the next year as a result of foreign capital investment. It was hard to believe that some 25 years ago this metropolis was a simple rural hamlet on the edge of the Hong Kong border. At ground level it was a different story. The area was a hot spot for beggars, prying on tourists and with many of them being deformed, it was hard not to be sympathetic. However, giving them money isn’t a good idea as tourists can find themselves being followed around all day, being seen as easy targets.

We were enticed into one of the shopping centres by a very persistent Chinese man who told us extraordinary stories of how he’d come across some DVDs he could sell to us for a very low price. He then took us up in the lift to the top floor of the building, where the security guard turned a blind eye as he led us towards a small locked door. Inside tourists were bartering for stacks of copied DVDs, about none of which would probably work when they got them home. Hanging on the walls were hundreds of fake “Dior” and “Gucci” handbags. Having satisfied our curiosity we made our way out through the bustling crowds of people and the salesmen shouting “Missy, missy. You like handbag?” I found the experience very entertaining but we decided to move on to the city centre and took a bus to Renmin Lu.

The first thing I noticed, getting off the bus twenty minutes later was a sweet smell, which I recognised as steamed dim sum, being cooked on small wagons at the side of the street. The vendor told me in the little English he knew that dim sum means “touching your heart” and the small shrimp filled dumplings certainly did. I couldn’t understand why all the Chinese were queuing in KFC opposite! Massive adverts covered the sides of most of the buildings, many of them written in English -evidence of the spread of capitalism into China. Scaffolding made out of bamboo was strapped to most of the buildings, which looked very precarious, holding several grown men six storeys above me. My brother assured me that it was very strong but I still felt the need to run underneath! Small street stalls sold “Hello Kitty” merchandise and traditional Chinese ornaments. Every other shop we walked past seemed to either be a jeweller, an opticians or an electrical goods store and nearly every window had a cat ornament with a wagging arm for good luck.

Walking through the streets, I couldn’t help but be taken in by the atmosphere which included simple things such as the loud clanging sound the traffic lights made when people crossed the road to street vendors shouting very bad English, attempting to sell a few knock-off watches. I had been dreading the journey to Schenzhen and was uncertain about leaving Hong Kong. However, as we arrived at the restaurant in the early evening, where we were to meet some of my brother’s business collegues, I was already planning my next journey through the city.

Fact File:

Getting there (from Hong Kong):

• Use the MTR line to reach the KCR to Schenzhen. Maps of the underground are available to buy in English.
• Buy an Octopus card. They are only $75 HK (£4) and a journey of around 5 stops only costs about 40p. The KCR costs $15 HK (around £1) standard and $60 (£3) for first class.
• A one-day visa is required and these take 24 hours to organise and cost around £20. A passport is also needed.
• Two day organised tours are available, ranging from £30 to £100 from www.travelchinaguide.com , some of which include accommodation.

Advice:

• Travel either with an informed person or a registered tour guide. Do not take up tours offered to you in the street because these can be organised by muggers.
• If taking a taxi or bus, ask someone at a tourist information point to write down the name in Chinese to show to the driver to avoid confusion in pronunciation.
• Remember that buying counterfeit goods is illegal and they can be seized at immigration on your way back to Hong Kong and at the airport on your return journey.

Articles on Shenzhen on the web:

China Syndrome

China travel guide

Hotels in Shenzhen:

Hotel finder

Holiday Inn

Landmark

For a good travel blog try:

Gridskipper