In some cities street food is just mentioned in brochures to attract more tourists; sort of a ploy to make it look like the city has its own authentic street food culture. Once you get there is when everything takes on a whole new meaning. You realise that the so called famous avenue has a couple of shops or may be a number of them, but all selling the same thing that you could get anywhere else. Shenzhen isn’t one of those places. In fact it is one of the most diverse, richly flavoured and genuine street food fixtures that one may come across.

How many cities do you know of that have their snacks on a street? This place has not one but many of them. Yantian Seafood Street, Dongmen Street, Bagua Yilu Snack Street and Xiang Xi Cun Snack Street are a few of them. Like its name suggests Yantian can seem like paradise for food lovers. Be it lobsters or king crabs, the location’s close proximity to the sea makes the seafood affordable, extremely delicious and definitely fresh.

Dongmen Street is a place to take a slow steady stroll. A place that tempts your taste buds, the spread here ranges from Sichuan, Hunanese, Cantonese, Thai and South-east Asian to German. Xiang Xi Cun Snack Street has a signature dish, braised pig bone. This section is also open late in to the night where you can dine illuminated by pretty lanterns.

The food culture started with Bagua Yilu Snack Street where Cantonese food was brought by the Hong Kong factory owners who yearned for the more familiar home cooked flavours. The menu has however expanded to include food from various regions of China too.

Not only is the food great here but the coastline is beautiful too, which is why Shenzhen is a popular destination among tourists and locals. The accommodation options are varied including the ever popular Shenzhen serviced apartment. Located in the heart of the city close to tourist destinations, the business district as well as entertainment and shopping areas is Somerset Garden City Shenzhen. A serviced apartment Shenzhen would prove ideal for an unforgettable holiday in the city.

Pushpitha Wijesinghe is an experienced independent freelance writer. He specializes in providing a wide variety of content and articles related to the travel hospitality industry.

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