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Stef's first entry into mainland China begins with a 14-minute high-speed train from Hong Kong to Shenzhen and multiple passport and bag checks. He is surprised by the quiet, modern station and clean metro, including a cat café at Gangxia North where passengers can pet cats for free. A copied hotel address sends him on a 42-minute taxi ride, which costs $7.50 in a premium electric car. He demonstrates Alipay's passport-activated transport card and recommends preparing Alipay, WeChat, Didi, A Map, and a VPN before arrival. The day also includes a Hunan-style beef lunch with tomato and potatoes, rice, and free tea.
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Entering Shenzhen and learning the systems
Stef's first entry into mainland China starts with a 14-minute high-speed train ride from Hong Kong to Shenzhen. The arrival becomes more complicated than he expected, with repeated passport scans, camera surveillance, bag checks and immigration procedures. He finds that station and metro visits can involve several checks, including inspection of bags and water bottles, so he recommends allowing time.
At Shenzhen station, he is struck by its modern, museum-like appearance and the quiet of a city of 18 million residents, which he connects to electric vehicles. He also explores clean, modern, temperature-controlled metro cars. Gangxia North station has a cat café where passengers can pet real cats for free.
Stef stresses the importance of digital preparation. He recommends downloading Alipay, WeChat, Didi and A Map before traveling, and says to have a reliable VPN ready for services such as Google, YouTube and WhatsApp. He shows how to activate an Alipay transport card with a passport and scan its QR code to enter and exit metro gates. If using a metro token, he says to ensure it has enough balance. He also warns that Google Maps did not work for navigation in his experience and suggests Apple Maps or A Map instead.
A hotel detour and city life
Stef copies the wrong hotel address, which leads to a 42-minute taxi ride across Shenzhen. The detour becomes a highlight: a premium electric car costs $7.50. He comments on the affordability of the ride and the quiet streets, which he associates with electric cars. He also gives advice on using Trip.com for hotel directions and opening them in Didi when arranging a taxi. For hotels, he suggests requesting a non-smoking room to avoid smoke smells and checking Wi-Fi speed if uploading videos is important.
Lunch is at a Hunan-style restaurant. Stef uses ChatGPT to translate the menu and orders non-spicy beef with tomato and potatoes. Rice and free tea accompany the meal, with a rice cooker at the table. The day shifts from tired frustration during the address mistake and security steps to wonder at the station, metro and cats. It closes with a teaser for drone delivery and a Chinese Amazon visit, suggesting his Shenzhen adventure will continue.
FAQs (From the traveler's perspective)
- Q: Which apps did Stef recommend for China travel?
- A: He recommends Alipay, WeChat, Didi, and A Map, along with testing a reliable VPN such as Malva for Google and YouTube access.
- Q: How does Alipay work for the Shenzhen Metro?
- A: Stef shows selecting transport and the traffic card in Alipay, activating it with a passport, and scanning a QR code at metro gates to enter and exit.
- Q: How much was the premium taxi ride?
- A: Yes. Stef says his 42-minute premium taxi ride cost $7.50, which he found incredibly cheap compared with Western prices. He also describes the car as electric and the ride as a memorable result of choosing the wrong hotel address.
- Q: Are there cats inside the train station?
- A: Stef visits a cat café at Gangxia North station, where passengers can pet real cats for free.