Shenzhen is located in the southern part of Guangdong Province, on the eastern shore of the Pearl River Delta and just north of Hong Kong. This strategic location gives it a huge advantage for economic growth, something that was taken advantage of in 1979. Before this period, Shenzhen was just a small fishing village called Baoan County. Today the city boasts a wide range of attractions, parks and shopping opportunities.

Popular attractions include Splendid China and China Folk Culture Village which document China's long history and varied cultures, while Window of the World allows people to explore miniature attractions from across the world. If you have kids, they’ will enjoy Happy Valley theme park, while for those looking for peace and quiet, the botanic gardens and countless other parks offer an escape from the frenetic buzz of the city.

The city has seen a vast increase in migrants looking for work and as a result, it has become increasingly crowded. Efforts have been made to deal with this problem and have seen the boundaries of the city grow enormously. The increase in people has also meant a growth in ethnic diversity, which the city has embraced with pride.

Thanks to its developed economy, the national and international transport infrastructure is excellent. It is very easy to get in and out of Shenzhen in comfort. Also due to its economy, Shenzhen boasts a wide range of excellent hotels. There are a number of hotels suited to businessmen, families, couples and those looking for style and luxury. If you are thinking of visiting during any of the major festivals, you should book your accommodation in advance.

Shenzhen's history can be traced back 6,000 years. Archaeologists have recently found pottery items at Da Huang Sha and Da Mei Sha Dene that indicate that there was human settlement here as early as the Neolithic period. According to experts, Shenzhen's history consists of four major periods.

The first was the Attachment Period which ended in 1573 BC. During this time, Shenzhen was a base for the ancient seafaring Baiyue tribes. They were a small fishing community with little cultivation. In 1573 BC, a new county which was known as Xin’an was established on the site of today’s Shenzhen and Hong Kong. Salt, tea, spices and rice were the bulk of this new county's economy.

In 1842, the Treaty of Nanjing was signed and Hong Kong Island was occupied by the British. The island became separated from Xin’an County and Xin’an became known as Ban'an.

The former fishing colony was singled out, promoted to prefecture level and opened up by Chinese leader Deng Xiaoping. It became the first ever Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in China, established in 1979. The city thrived due to its proximity with Hong Kong and despite being created to experiment with the concept of ‘socialism with Chinese characteristics’, the city was soon making a name for itself elsewhere.

It was attracting industrial investment from Hong Kong, which was largely due to the shared language, dialect and culture, and the relationship between the two places was extremely beneficial to all. It was not long before Shenzhen became one of the largest cities in the Pearl River Delta region, which has since become one of the economic strongholds of China as well as the largest manufacturing hub in the world.

Shenzhen experiences a subtropical monsoon climate, with warm temperatures throughout the year. The months of July and August are the city’s hottest with often unbearable temperatures of 33ºC and higher. The months either side of the summer period also experience hot weather, but there is a cooling breeze which helps to stifle the heat. Rainfall throughout the summer months can be heavy. May is the beginning of the rainy season and along with June, sees the most precipitation of the year.

After an often scorching summer, November is the first month of winter. Temperatures drop significantly with daily highs rarely reaching above 25°C. November is possibly one of the best months to visit the city as the weather is temperate, rainfall is rare and humidity levels are low.

December, January and February see temperatures dropping further still. April sees temperatures start to rise and the first significant rainfall in months.