Shenzhen Overseas Chinese Town Tourist Resort is located in Nanshan District, Shenzhen City, Guangdong Province. It is one of the first batch of 5A-level tourist attractions in China, one of the first batch of National Civilized Scenic Tourist Areas, and a National-level Cultural Industry Demonstration Park.
The tourist area covers an area of 4.8 square kilometers, bringing together the most concentrated group of cultural theme parks, cultural theme hotels, and cultural and art facilities in China. It has four large-scale cultural theme parks, namely Splendid China, China Folk Culture Villages, Window of the World, and Happy Valley. There are also more than 20 cultural and entertainment, tourism and leisure supporting facilities such as art galleries, art centers, tourism colleges, and public welfare leisure parks, as well as various resort hotel facilities at different levels.
History and Culture
When the Overseas Chinese Town was first established, it set its sights on the tourism industry. While other places were busy building buildings, the Overseas Chinese Town was planting trees and grass and transforming the surrounding environment. In 1989, the Overseas Chinese Town launched China's first theme park, Splendid China, in Shenzhen.
In 2003, Shenzhen implemented the strategy of "building the city with culture". The former site of the OCT Creative Culture Block was the Eastern Industrial Zone, which was gradually transformed from "three supplies and one compensation" factories into a LOFT creative industrial park. The transformation was completed in 2006, and the Shenzhen OCT Creative Culture Park was officially established.
After years of development, the Overseas Chinese Town Group has become the only Asian enterprise among the top eight world tourism groups. It has built a full industrial camp covering cultural tourism, cultural festivals, cultural performances, cultural technology, culture and art, as well as cultural theme hotels and the manufacturing of culture-related products.
Main Attractions
Happy Valley
Shenzhen Happy Valley is a new generation of large-scale theme park of the Overseas Chinese Town Group and one of the first batch of 5A-level tourist attractions in China. It covers a total area of 350,000 square meters and has a total investment of 1.5 billion yuan. It integrates sea, land and air amusement, combines day and night entertainment, and has eight theme areas such as the Spanish Square, Cartoon City, Adventure Mountain, etc., as well as the interesting Maya Water Park. It has more than 100 amusement projects suitable for both the young and the old, with rich and colorful content. Many unique projects in China and even Asia have been introduced from developed countries such as the United States, the Netherlands, and Germany, such as the "Rapid Torrent" with the highest drop in the world and "Snow Mountain Flying Dragon", China's first suspended roller coaster.
Splendid China
Splendid China is currently the largest and richest real-scene miniature scenic area in the world, covering an area of 450 mu, and is divided into two parts: the main attraction area and the comprehensive service area. In the attraction area, nearly a hundred attractions are roughly distributed according to China's regional map. It is a microcosm of China's natural scenery and the essence of its human history. Tourists can experience the historical changes of China over five thousand years and travel through the beautiful landscapes of China in one day. The comprehensive service area absorbs the essence of Suzhou architecture and garden art and retains the characteristics of traditional Chinese commercial blocks.
Window of the World
With the aim of promoting world culture, Window of the World brings together world wonders, historical sites, ancient and modern scenic spots, and folk song and dance performances in one park, creating a wonderful world. The scenic area is divided according to the five continents. Together with the World Square, World Sculpture Garden, International Street, and Jurassic World, it forms a man-made theme park with various postures, peerless beauty, and amazing charm. There are 118 attractions built in it, and each attraction is freely replicated in different proportions, exquisitely crafted and vividly lifelike.
China Folk Culture Villages
China Folk Culture Villages is the first large-scale cultural tourist area in China that brings together the folk art, folk customs, and residential buildings of various ethnic groups in one place, covering an area of 200,000 square meters. Here, there are "twenty-five villages and the customs of fifty-six ethnic groups", allowing tourists to experience the folk culture and lifestyle of various ethnic groups, and it has won the reputation of the "Chinese Folk Museum".
Food
Beijing Roast Duck
You can taste the authentic Beijing Roast Duck in Splendid China · Folk Culture Villages. The sliced duck meat has a ruddy color, and the meat is fat but not greasy. Paired with thin pancakes, scallion shreds, cucumbers, and sweet bean sauce, it has a rich taste and a mellow flavor.
Chongqing Hot Pot
Similarly, you can eat Chongqing hot pot in Splendid China · Folk Culture Villages. It is famous for its spiciness, numbness, freshness, and aroma. The pot bottom is rich, and there are a variety of ingredients. Shabu-shabu ingredients such as tripe, duck intestines, and tender beef roll in the pot, making people enjoy a hearty meal.
Spaghetti
There are European-style Western restaurants in Interlaken Town of Tea Stream Valley in OCT East. Spaghetti is one of its specialties. The noodles are chewy, and paired with rich meat sauce or cream mushroom sauce, etc., it has an authentic taste and is full of exotic flavors.
Seafood Feast
Seafood restaurants around the Overseas Chinese Town can provide fresh seafood feasts, such as steamed grouper, boiled shrimps, spicy crabs, etc. The seafood has a delicious taste, and there are various cooking methods to meet the tourists' love for seafood.
Admission Tickets
The admission ticket prices of each park in Shenzhen Overseas Chinese Town Tourist Resort are different, and there are various types to choose from. Taking Happy Valley as an example, the full-day ticket for adults is 208 yuan per ticket, the ticket for teenagers/students is 180 yuan per ticket, and the ticket for children/seniors is 130 yuan per ticket. Children with a height of less than 1.2 meters (inclusive) and seniors over 70 years old (inclusive) can enter for free. Other parks such as Window of the World also have their own ticket policies. Tourists can purchase tickets through the official website of the Overseas Chinese Town, the official app, and major travel booking platforms. They can also choose to buy multi-park package tickets or through tickets, which usually offer certain discounts.
Opening Hours
The opening hours of each park in Shenzhen Overseas Chinese Town Tourist Resort vary. Generally speaking, the opening hours of parks such as Happy Valley are usually around 9 a.m. until closing at night. The specific closing time will be adjusted according to different seasons and holidays. Parks such as Window of the World and Splendid China · Folk Culture Villages are also roughly within this time range, but it is necessary to pay attention to the official announcements of each park to reasonably arrange the playing time.
Itinerary for Visiting
For a one-day parent-child happy tour, you can go to Happy Valley in the morning. Let children experience mild projects such as the carousel in the Magic Castle, and adults can experience exciting projects such as the Snow Eagle. After having lunch in the park, go to Splendid China · Folk Culture Villages in the afternoon to admire the miniature landscapes and watch folk performances. For a cultural exploration tour, you can go to Window of the World in the morning to visit the miniature landscapes of world-famous buildings, taste food from various countries at noon, and then go to the Tea Stream Valley Resort Park in OCT East in the afternoon to enjoy the scenery of European-style towns.
For a two-day tour, you can arrive at the Overseas Chinese Town in the morning on the first day, visit Window of the World in depth, go to Happy Valley in the afternoon to experience the amusement facilities and performances, and taste food and feel the nightlife nearby in the evening. After breakfast on the second day, go to Splendid China · Folk Culture Villages. Visit the miniature scenic area in the morning, experience the folk customs in the afternoon, and go to OCT East in the evening to check into the hotel. Admire the mountain and sea scenery in the Grand Canyon Ecological Park and experience projects such as the jungle cable car.
Transportation
- Subway: The Shenzhen Metro Line 1 has an Overseas Chinese Town Station, which can directly reach the vicinity of the Shenzhen Overseas Chinese Town Tourist Resort. After getting off the subway, you can walk or transfer to a short-distance bus to reach each park.
- Bus: There are many bus routes passing through the Overseas Chinese Town, such as Route 204, Route 223, Route 328, etc. You can choose a suitable bus route according to your departure place.
- Self-driving: It is very convenient to drive to the Shenzhen Overseas Chinese Town Tourist Resort. There are several parking lots around the park. Just set the destination as the corresponding park in the navigation. However, during holidays and weekends, the traffic volume is large, so it is recommended to start in advance to avoid congestion.
Must-visit Attractions
- Happy Valley: It is a new generation of large-scale tourist theme park in China, integrating a variety of amusement experiences. It has many exciting amusement projects, such as "Snow Mountain Flying Dragon" and "Rapid Torrent", as well as wonderful performance projects, which is suitable for tourists who pursue excitement and joy.
- Splendid China: It is the largest and richest real-scene miniature scenic area in the world, allowing people to travel all over China in one day and experience China's five-thousand-year history, culture, and beautiful landscapes. It is a good place to understand China's history, culture, and natural scenery.
- Window of the World: It brings together world wonders, historical sites, etc. in one park. Tourists can admire the miniature landscapes of world-famous buildings here and experience the cultural customs of various parts of the world. It is suitable for tourists who like cultural exploration and taking photos.
Suggestions for Visiting
- Pay attention to the performance time and project opening time of each park in advance, and reasonably arrange the visiting order to avoid missing wonderful performances and popular projects.
- Some popular projects may require queuing for a long time. You can plan the queuing time in advance or use the express pass provided by the park (if available).
- Choose a suitable visiting route according to your own interests and time. If you have enough time, you can choose multi-park package tickets or through tickets, which are more cost-effective.
- Wear comfortable shoes when visiting to facilitate long-time walking.
Precautions
- Comply with the regulations of each park, such as no smoking, no pets allowed, etc.
- When playing exciting projects, follow the instructions of the staff to take safety protection measures.
- Pay attention to protecting the environment, do not litter, and do not damage the facilities and landscapes in the scenic area.
- If you bring children to visit, take good care of their safety and avoid them getting lost.