TO most foreigners who have never been to China, Shenzhen is a place on the map not far from Hong Kong; to the average Chinese, it is a miracle created by the opening-up policy, evolving from a fishing village to an economic powerhouse and young metropolis.

Apart from the skyline defined by high-rise buildings downtown, a trait shared by many other modern cities, Shenzhen does have its unique beauty and landscapes to offer, enriched by historical and cultural backgrounds unfamiliar to many. A book published in July, "100 Most Beautiful Places in Shenzhen," tells the full story. Here we take readers on a brief tour to a few of them.

Historical site

Dapeng Fortress 4 

Time rolls back 600 years if you see the ancient buildings in the fortress.

A military base built in the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), it was built to resist Japanese pirates attacking China's southern coast. On Sept. 4, 1839, five British naval vessels launched a surprise attack on the Dapeng Fortress from the waters off Kowloon. Chinese troops led by General Lai Enjue defeated their better-equipped enemy, now considered the start of the Opium Wars.

A major attraction in the fortress is a 2,500-square-meter mansion built for Lai in 1844 on the orders of the emperor. Well preserved, the stately Qing-style Lai Mansion was home to five generals in the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911).

Amusement park

Splendid China . Folk Culture Villages  6 7

The first theme park on the Chinese mainland, Splendid China is a great success that led to a rush of theme park construction across the country. The largest miniature park in the world was built on 30 hectares over four years when Ma Chi-man, general manager of China Travel Service (Hong Kong) Ltd., came up with the idea in 1985, after he was asked to develop the OCT area.

Here 84 replicas of ancient Chinese buildings, natural landscapes and folk residences have been constructed on a scale of 1:15. Among them are the Great Wall of China, the Forbidden City, the Temple of Confucius, and the Three Gorges along the Yangtze. A walk away are the China Folk Culture Villages built two years later, consisting of 24 life-size ethnic villages representing 56 nationalities of China. The two parks merged Jan.1, 2003.

Night life

Sea World 3

Ancerville, a French ocean liner inaugurated in 1962 by General de Gaulle, was sold to China in 1973 and renamed Minghua. Six years later, the ship took a Chinese delegation led by general Liao Chengzhi to Japan to help improve relations between the two nations.

In 1983, the ship became permanently moored at Shekou and was transformed into a floating hotel, retail park and leisure center. Tourists flocked in, and the late Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping named it "Sea World". Today, the area is better known for its street lined with more than 40 Western restaurants and bars in front of the vessel.

Dafen Oil Painting Village 2

A set of prizewinning photos by Shenzhen photographer Yu Haibo at the 2006 World Press Photo Contest helped the world discover the Dafen Oil Painting Village.

Twenty years ago, the village was no different from any other where locals made a living growing rice. A Hong Kong oil painting dealer named Huang Jiang changed this in 1989, when he opened the first painting factory and recruited painters to mass-produce replicas of Van Gogh and Da Vinci masterpieces.

Today, the village is a wholesale center of replica paintings, where more than 5 million copies are produced each year. It's also a place where young original painters, harbor artistic dreams, perhaps inspired by the bust of Leonardo Da Vinci standing at the crossroads leading into the village.

Natural beauty

Wutong Mountain 1 5

A gem of nature including forest, springs and breath-taking views, Wutong Mountain is one of the most beautiful hiking spots in Shenzhen. It is perhaps the only forest park in a city's downtown in the whole of China.

The city's highest mountain at 943 meters attracts 3,000 to 4,000 hikers everyday. Different routes offer hikers the choice of easy walks on well-paved roads to steep winding dirt slopes requiring proper climbing skills.

Whichever route you take, the view from the peak of the mountain is rewarding: to the east lies the tranquil sea of Dapeng harbor, and to the south and west bustling Shenzhen downtown.

Dameisha resort 8

Facing the vast South China Sea, Shenzhen boasts an extensive coastline featuring beautiful beaches with Dameisha and Xiaomeisha two of the most popular.

Dameisha is open to the public free of charge, while Xiaomeisha charges 15 yuan per person. No matter which stretch of shoreline you choose, you are exposed to a raw, fresh environment with a sea breeze, accompanied by the roll of waves.

Besides swimming, there are many other sports to take enjoy, such as beach volleyball and windsurfing. Or, you can simply sit, read or meditate. Young people often organize outdoor barbecue parties on the beach and many weddings are also held here.

The city also hosts its annual Golden Beach Festival here in July when various watersports are held. Dameisha beach is also famous its an annual international sand-sculpture competition, which attracts artists from around the world.

(Li Dan)