My journey to Shenzhen, complete with a fake Louis Vuitton

Before I came to Hong Kong, I thought it was only an island. After arriving, I learned that the territory extends onto the mainland of the Asian continent and shares a border with China. This past weekend, my boyfriend and I had the chance to cross that border into Shenzhen, Guangdong Province.

To travel to China, you must have a visa, which can be obtained from the China Resources Building in Wan Chai. Sadly, for Americans it costs HK $1,100, or US $140, for a single entry visa. That is the same price we pay at home, by the way. But, for the British (and some other nationalities), it is less than half that price!

Getting to Shenzhen

Anyway, there are a couple of ways to get to Shenzhen from Hong Kong. You can take a ferry if you are not susceptible to seasickness. Or, you can board the MTR’s East Rail Line, which will take you all the way to one of two land border crossings into China: Lo Wu and Lok Ma Chau. Depending on where you start, the train journey will take about an hour, and it costs around HK $35.

Crossing the border at Lo Wu takes you directly to the Shenzhen Metro, as well as to Luohu Commercial City. The latter is a multi-storied mall complex full of shops selling knock-off clothes, shoes, handbags, watches, electronics and more. There are also salons inside offering cheap manicures, pedicures, facials, etc.

My first designer fake!

Possessed by the shopping bug, I bought a fake Louis Vuitton bag–my first designer fake–and a wallet for my mother. I also had a lovely 60-minute facial that cost 68 yuan, plus tip. My boyfriend was more interested in DVDs, which are not on display but can be found by following any of the hawkers roaming the hallways. They will show you a catalog of sorts and, once you choose what you want, they will bring it to you. Of course, they are copies, but the price is pretty reasonable: four seasons of “30 Rock” for 370 yuan, or about US $60.

So close, yet so far apart

It’s strange how close Hong Kong and Shenzhen are, yet how different they feel. English is much less prevalent across the border–ordering a pizza dinner consisted of pointing at tiny pictures and hoping for the best, as the waitress spoke Mandarin and we smiled and nodded. Prices for food, transportation and accomodation are also lower, which of course is nice. We stayed at Spring Hotel fairly near the border, and it was 188 yuan for one night.

Shenzhen is a relatively new city, so there are not many famous cultural attractions like in Beijing. There are several theme parks there, but not being a lover of roller coasters, I am not too keen to visit them. Shenzhen is known for its reasonably-priced spas, and if I ever return, I hope someday to experience one.

Author Sydney Stonner is addicted to traveling. After studying journalism and music at the University of Missouri (where she studied abroad twice), she worked for a time as a newspaper reporter. Now, she is living in Hong Kong teaching English to primary school students. So far, she has visited 15 countries and hopes to visit many, many more.