Bao'an in a minute
Bao'an is the big western district that wraps around Shenzhen's airport and runs north along the Pearl River estuary. The name is older than the city itself: Shenzhen was carved out of the old Bao'an County, and the district still mixes factory towns and old villages with brand-new waterfront.
Most visitors meet Bao'an through a flight or a trade show. Shenzhen World, one of the largest exhibition centres anywhere, sits at the district's northern edge, and the airport has its own ferry pier for Hong Kong and Macau. People who live here tend to work in the airport, logistics and manufacturing belt, or want more space than Nanshan and Futian offer.
It's worth a trip even without a badge round your neck. The coast faces west, so Xiwan Mangrove Park and Tiezaishan are two of the best places in the city to watch the sun go down with planes sliding past. Joy Harbour has the Bay Glory wheel and a livehouse, and in December Shajing serves the oysters it's been farming for centuries.
Shows & Nightlife in Bao'an
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Tomorrow · 7:30pm
JORDANN «Sound Therapy» Fall Tour — Shenzhen
Montréal bedroom-pop artist JORDANN brings his soft-synth, French-and-English songs to HOU LIVE Z Space at Joy Harbour on a four-city China tour.
HOU LIVE · Z Space (Joy Harbour) · Bao'anHOU LIVE · Z空间（欢乐港湾店）
Fri 16 Oct · 8pm
Peremotka — Live in Shenzhen
Peremotka tour their new album at HOU LIVE's Joy Harbour room.
HOU LIVE · Z Space (Joy Harbour) · Bao'anHOU LIVE · Z空间（欢乐港湾店）
Fri 16 Oct · 8pm
Eight Graces — Hong Kong Dance Company
Contemporary Chinese dance, theatre and live cross-cultural music inspired by the eight classical arts.
Shenzhen Binhai Art Center · Bao'an深圳滨海艺术中心
Meetups in Bao'an
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Trade Shows & Conferences in Bao'an
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Tue 13 – Thu 15 Oct
ProPak Shenzhen 2026
Food processing and packaging machinery, packaging materials, automation and logistics technology, part of Connexion ShenZhen.
Shenzhen World Exhibition & Convention Center · Bao'an深圳国际会展中心
Tue 13 – Thu 15 Oct
Connexion ShenZhen 2026
South China's multi-sector trade platform: catering, hospitality, furniture, health, lifestyle, food processing & packaging and commercial appliances across 9 halls.
Shenzhen World Exhibition & Convention Center · Bao'an深圳国际会展中心
Tue 13 – Thu 15 Oct
HOTELEX Shenzhen 2026
Hospitality and food-service sourcing show: coffee & tea, beverages, food ingredients, catering equipment, tableware, bakery and private label.
Shenzhen World Exhibition & Convention Center · Bao'an深圳国际会展中心
Wed 14 – Fri 16 Oct
PM & IACE Shenzhen 2026: Powder Metallurgy & Advanced Ceramics
South China edition of PM China: powder metallurgy, MIM, hard alloys, magnetic materials and advanced ceramics, from powders to sintering equipment.
Shenzhen World Exhibition & Convention Center · Bao'an深圳国际会展中心
Where's what in Bao'an
The giant exhibition centre at the north end of the district, with its halls strung along one very long corridor. Hotels are built into the complex, so on show days this whole corner runs on lanyards.
🚇 Line 12 / Line 20 — Shenzhen World02Joy Harbour (OH Bay) 欢乐港湾A waterfront park and mall on the bay, home to the 128 m Bay Glory observation wheel (opened 2021), a seafront promenade, a bookshop and HOU LIVE's second room. Best late afternoon into evening.
🚇 Line 5 — LinhaiThe district's planned new centre, with government buildings, malls and apartment towers between Line 1 and the coast. Joy Harbour sits on its waterfront.
🚇 Line 1 / Line 5 — Bao'an CenterMangroves, a sea-watching platform and planes low overhead make Xiwan one of the city's favourite sunset spots; there's little food nearby, so bring a picnic. Inland, Tiezaishan Park has a 9.1 km trail with a short climb to sea views.
🚇 Line 1 — Gushu (for Xiwan Mangrove Park)A 700-year-old village of Ming and Qing buildings at the foot of Fenghuang Mountain, with a trail up past an old pagoda to forest park views. A good half-day hike that feels nothing like the airport strip.
The old oyster town in the north of the district, farming oysters since the Song dynasty. Line 12's 2024 extension reaches it, and Waterlands Resort's wetlands and lakes are close by.
🚇 Line 12 — Shajing Ancient MarketWestern Shenzhen's big indoor arena, used for pro pickleball, tennis exhibitions, snooker and concerts.
🚇 Line 1 — Bao'an Stadium- Register online before you go, using your passport details exactly as printed, and bring the same passport to collect your badge. Our first-timer's trade show guide covers badges, samples and visas.
- Take the metro. Lines 12 and 20 stop at Shenzhen World (exits C1/C2 for the South Entrance Hall) and Shenzhen World North (for the North Entrance Hall). From Futian, take Line 11 to Airport North and change to Line 20; allow about 70 minutes door to door.
- Flying in on show day? From the airport it's Line 11 to Airport North, then two stops on Line 20.
- Hotels: Hilton, Hilton Garden Inn, Crowne Plaza and InterContinental are at the venue and fill up fast during big fairs, so book when you register. Otherwise stay in Bao'an Center, Qianhai or Nanshan and ride the metro in.
- Wear comfortable shoes. The halls hang off one very long central corridor, and a full day can mean many kilometres of walking. Carry water.
- Leave by metro. Taxi and DiDi pick-ups jam at closing time, and Line 20 gets you back to Line 11 without the queue.
- Check what's on before you book flights: our trade show calendar lists every upcoming fair at Shenzhen World and in Futian.
Neighbourhoods & landmarks in Bao'an
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Getting around Bao'an
Line 11 is the fast one: it runs from Futian through Houhai and Qianhai to the airport and on into Bao'an, and takes about 30 minutes from Futian to the airport. Line 1 is the slower all-stops route out to Bao'an Center and Airport East, Line 5 serves Bao'an Center and Joy Harbour, and Line 12 runs from Shekou up the west side to Shenzhen World and Shajing. Line 20 is a short shuttle from Airport North to Shenzhen World.
Bao'an International Airport is on Line 11 (Airport station for Terminal 3, and Airport North, where you change to Line 20 for Shenzhen World). Line 11 trains have two business-class carriages with soft seats and luggage racks, at three times the normal fare.
Fuyong Ferry Terminal, right next to the airport, runs fast ferries to Hong Kong airport's SkyPier, Macau and Zhuhai. The Hong Kong airport sailing is meant for people catching or arriving on a flight, not for visiting Hong Kong. Check the current timetable before you go; for central Hong Kong, the ferries from Shekou Cruise Center or the land crossings are the better bet.
The Shenzhen–Zhongshan Link opened on 30 June 2024, starting at the airport interchange and cutting the drive to Zhongshan to around half an hour. Buses for Zhongshan leave from the airport.
Eat & drink in Bao'an
Shajing has farmed oysters for about a thousand years. They're harvested in December, which is when the Golden Oyster Festival brings grilled, steamed and marinated oysters to Haoxiang Lake Park.
A beer-themed complex in Xin'an with MAO Livehouse upstairs: an easy dinner, drink and gig in one building.
Joy Harbour waterfront →Restaurants and cafés line the mall and promenade around the Bay Glory wheel. Come for sunset, eat, then catch whatever's on at HOU LIVE.
Places in Bao'an
Popular in Bao'an
Bao'an: questions people ask
Is Bao'an worth visiting if I'm not going to a trade show?
Yes, for an evening on the coast. Xiwan Mangrove Park and Joy Harbour are among the best sunset spots in Shenzhen, Fenghuang Ancient Village makes a good half-day hike, and Shajing is the place for oysters in December.
How do I get from Shenzhen airport to Futian or Nanshan?
Take Metro Line 11 from the airport. It stops at Qianhai and Houhai for Nanshan and reaches Futian in about 30 minutes. Business-class carriages cost three times the normal fare.
Can I take a ferry from Shenzhen airport to Hong Kong or Macau?
Yes. Fuyong Ferry Terminal next to the airport has fast ferries to Macau, Zhuhai and Hong Kong airport's SkyPier. The SkyPier route is for air passengers rather than visitors to Hong Kong. For Hong Kong city, Shekou Cruise Center or the land crossings are better.
How do I get to Shenzhen World by metro?
Lines 12 and 20 both stop at Shenzhen World and Shenzhen World North. From Futian, take Line 11 to Airport North and change to Line 20. Allow about 70 minutes.
Is Bao'an a good area to stay?
If you're here for a trade show or an early flight, yes. For nightlife and expat community, Shekou, Nanshan and Futian are a better base, and Line 11 links them all to the airport.
When is oyster season in Shajing?
December is harvest time, and that's when the Golden Oyster Festival runs, usually at Haoxiang Lake Park.
Other areas
Checked 4 Oct 2026 · Sources: Line 20, Shenzhen Metro (Wikipedia), Line 12, Shenzhen Metro: 2024 extension to Songgang (Wikipedia), Line 11 airport line and business class (Travel China Guide, updated Aug 2026), Bao'an Center station (Wikipedia), Fuyong Ferry Terminal (Wikipedia), Shenzhen–Zhongshan Link (Wikipedia), Bay Glory observation wheel (Wikipedia), Places to explore in Bao'an (Eye Shenzhen, Oct 2024), Discovering Bao'an: trails, Fenghuang, Tiezaishan (Eye Shenzhen, Mar 2025), Xiwan Mangrove Park (Eye Shenzhen, May 2023), Visit Shajing for oysters (Eye Shenzhen, Dec 2024), Shenzhen World: transport and hotels (official), Hilton Shenzhen World Exhibition & Convention Center, Shenzhen Commerce Bureau: hotel occupancy during fairs (2023)