常见问题：先把答案给你FAQ: straight answers first

Metro Line 11 runs from the airport directly to Futian in about 50 minutes — cheap, immune to traffic and the most reliable choice. Airport express buses cover the main hotel districts. A taxi to Futian takes roughly 40–70 minutes depending on traffic and costs about RMB 130–180 including tolls. During the meeting week, allow extra time.

It depends where you start. From urban Hong Kong, Luohu and Futian/Lok Ma Chau (both connected to the East Rail line) are easiest. From the airport or Tung Chung, Shenzhen Bay or the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macao Bridge are smoother. Huanggang is a 24-hour passenger land crossing, and the only realistic option late at night. High-speed rail from West Kowloon to Shenzhen North or Futian takes only about 15–20 minutes — good for a tight schedule.

Your passport (valid for the whole trip), your visa or visa-waiver eligibility, a return or onward ticket and your hotel booking. If you are entering visa-free, carry an invitation letter, flight details and hotel reservations that match your stated purpose — border officers may ask why you are visiting. For business trips, the invitation letter is the most useful document.

In order: get online (enable roaming or buy a SIM), open a map and confirm your hotel location, then head into town by metro QR code or taxi. If you are staying with a friend or in a short-term rental rather than a hotel, remember to complete foreigner accommodation registration within 24 hours of moving in — this can be done online through the National Immigration Administration platform.

Carrier counters in the airport arrivals hall let you buy one on landing; city service halls are cheaper but involve queuing. You need your passport for real-name registration. A travel eSIM is also an option and needs no card swap, but it gives you no Chinese number, so you cannot receive local SMS verification codes.

For three or more people or heavy luggage, a ride-hailing "comfort" or "business" class is far easier than the metro, and the airport has dedicated pick-up points. Solo with light bags, Metro Line 11 is faster and cheaper. Most metro stations have lifts, but interchange corridors are long and large bags are awkward at peak times.

Shenzhen has enormous choice. Cantonese morning tea (har gow, siu mai, rice rolls, chicken feet) is served roughly 07:00–11:00 at RMB 40–80 per person. Everyday local breakfasts — rice rolls, congee, braised pork rice, wonton noodles — cost RMB 10–20 at a small shop. Chain cafés and bakeries are dense in office districts and best when you are short of time.

Shenzhen is built on Cantonese cuisine, so most local food is mild. That said, Sichuan, Hunan and Jiangxi restaurants are everywhere. When ordering, say "no chilli" or "very mild", and be explicit: "do not add any chilli at all". Note that "not spicy" sometimes still means a little chilli — if you are sensitive, add "not even a little, thank you".

Yes to both. Halal restaurants are mostly run by families from northwestern China and cluster in parts of Luohu and Futian and around university and wholesale districts — search for the Chinese word for halal on a map app. For vegetarian food, dedicated Chinese vegetarian restaurants and temple kitchens are excellent; in ordinary restaurants, stir-fried greens may use meat stock or oyster sauce, so state clearly that you eat no meat, fish, eggs or oyster sauce.

Not straight from the tap. Shenzhen's treated water meets the standard, but locals boil it or buy bottled water. Hotel rooms generally have a kettle, and boiling is the usual approach. Bottled water costs about RMB 2–5 in a convenience store, and restaurants normally provide free tea.

For a first visit with a tight schedule, stay in the Futian CBD: metro interchanges are easy and the convention centre, Civic Center and Shopping Park are walkable or one stop away. For shopping and food, Nanshan — Shenzhen Bay, Coast Park and Science Park — offers the most choice. If you cross to Hong Kong often, stay in Luohu or near the Futian checkpoint. On a budget, Longhua or Bao'an central puts you within 30 minutes of the core by metro.

Yes, especially in mid-to-late November. When the APEC meeting week overlaps exhibition season, high-end hotels in Futian and Nanshan sell out weeks ahead and prices rise. Book a flexible, cancellable rate and widen your search to anywhere within about 30 minutes by metro.

Shenzhen regulates short-term rentals and guesthouses: properties must be registered and meet fire and public security requirements, so standards vary a lot. Prefer a licensed hotel or a serviced apartment with clear operating credentials. If you do stay in a residential property, you must complete foreigner accommodation registration within 24 hours of moving in, or face a warning and a possible fine.

There will be temporary local controls, not city-wide closures. Security is stepped up around the Futian CBD and Xiangmihu, with some roads temporarily controlled, made one-way or briefly closed; screening is stricter at key metro stations and some entrances may close temporarily. Elsewhere — Nanshan, Luohu, Bao'an, Dapeng — life is essentially normal. Prioritise the metro and allow 30–60 minutes of buffer.

APEC-related facilities are concentrated in Futian District: Xiangmihu is the main venue area and the convention centre district hosts exhibitions and side events. The specific main and break-out venues are subject to the official final announcement. The Leaders' Meeting and senior officials' meetings are closed to the public, and the area around the venue falls under security control during the meeting week — unauthorised access and photography are not permitted.

You cannot observe the Leaders' Meeting. However, of the roughly 300 China Year events held across several cities, a substantial share — business forums, industry side events, exhibitions and seminars — are open for registration, usually through the organiser or an industry association. Shenzhen also runs many corporate open days and cultural events open to the public at the same time.

Three steps: check the metro first, since it is the most reliable way across the city that week; ask your driver to drop you at the edge of the controlled zone and walk or transfer; and check official notices in advance, allowing buffer time. Do not try to get around a cordon — cooperating with staff on site is always faster. Temporary measures are published via the Shenzhen government portal sz.gov.cn and apec2026.cn.

Business formal: dark suit, shirt and leather shoes, with a tie optional but worth packing; a tailored suit or dress for women. Add one slightly more formal outfit for evening receptions. November days are warm and indoor air conditioning is strong, so a suit jacket handles both the occasion and the temperature. Avoid trainers and shorts in formal settings.

Move out along the metro lines. Luohu (Line 1), Nanshan Science Park (Lines 1 and 11), Longhua (Line 4) and Bao'an central (Lines 5 and 11) are all 30–45 minutes from Futian, with rates typically 30–50% lower. If hotels around Convention Center, Shopping Park or Civic Center are full, look two or three stops further out — there is often still availability.

Three steps. First, report it at the nearest police station and obtain a written acknowledgement — you will need it for everything that follows. Second, take that report, passport photos and proof of identity to your embassy or consulate and apply for a replacement passport or an emergency travel document, which usually takes several working days. Third, complete the relevant exit procedure at the exit-entry administration of the public security bureau. If you entered visa-free, your entry record plus the embassy document is normally sufficient to exit lawfully.

For minor complaints, start at a chain pharmacy for common medicine or a community health centre nearby. For English-speaking service or an appointment-based clinic, go to a large hospital's international medical department. For anything urgent or a serious injury, call 120 or go to the nearest emergency department. Keep the medical record, itemised bill and original invoice — overseas insurance claims almost always require all three.

For the metro, register at the station's customer service centre; the airport has a lost property office; for ride-hailing, contact the driver directly through the trip record in the app; in restaurants and malls, ask the service desk to review CCTV. If identity documents or significant valuables are involved, file a police report first and then ask the operator to help. Lost parcels are handled by the courier company under the waybill terms.

Put voice and camera translation on your home screen; write your hotel address plus "please take me to this address" in Chinese on a card to show drivers; and for police or medical matters you can call 12345 or 12367 and ask for multilingual assistance. People here are entirely used to communicating through a phone and will almost never be impatient with you.

Call 110, state where you are and what happened, and you can ask to be connected to English-language assistance. A more reliable route is to ask a Chinese-speaking bystander to make the call for you, or to report in person at the nearest police station — officers there usually have basic English or can use a translation tool. If property is involved, always obtain the written acknowledgement, as insurance claims and document replacement both require it.

Shenzhen uses five typhoon alert levels. At yellow or above, schools close, employers are advised to delay or suspend work, and large outdoor events stop; orange and red bring further transport and outdoor restrictions. At yellow or above: stay indoors, keep away from the coast, hoardings and trees, stock up on water and food, charge your phone and follow official updates. Flights and high-speed trains may be widely disrupted, so check your service status before travelling.