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Mabel Lui

Drawn by its affordable food, shopping and entertainment, many Hong Kong residents choose to spend their weekends in the neighbouring city of Shenzhen in China.
Some venture to Guangzhou, another nearby city that has its share of Cantonese cuisine, pristine malls and cultural destinations.
But further east in Guangdong province is a little-known city that offers something quite different. Shanwei – not to be confused with nearby Shantou – is a coastal city less than two hours from Hong Kong that has clean, family-friendly beaches and stunning sunsets that rival those in Phuket or Bali.
In Shanwei, the ocean’s strong waves lend themselves well to water sports like sailing and surfing, and seafood is fresh and abundant.
And if visitors want to leave the seaside, there is the bustling Ermalu night market, which offers beef hotpot – a speciality of the region – and other local delicacies.

How to get there
Provided you have a mainland travel permit or a valid visa, getting to Shanwei from Hong Kong is simple enough: buy your ticket (HK$159/US$20 and up for adults) on the China Railway website or at the West Kowloon station from which high-speed trains to mainland China depart.
These days, travellers do not need to pick up a physical ticket or even scan a QR code, as the ticket is tied to your permit or passport. Immigration can take a while, so it is best to arrive at the station 45 minutes to an hour before your scheduled departure time.
After around 90 minutes on the train, you will arrive at Shanwei Railway Station. From there the easiest way to get around is by car, so you may want to take a taxi to your destination – buses leave from the station, but they may be more difficult to navigate if you are unfamiliar with the area.
Mandarin and Cantonese will suffice should you get lost; most Shanwei people speak the Haifeng dialect at home, but a good number also speak Cantonese. Get a language-translation app if you do not speak either – few of the locals understand English.

Where to stay
There are plenty of affordable hotels in Shanwei, with room prices around HK$300 to HK$500 a night in the off-peak season.
Although there are not that many international chain hotels, there is the Wyndham Shanwei Haifeng and the Courtyard by Marriott Shanwei Haifeng. However, both are akin to business hotels, so if you are looking for a true resort experience, staying by the beach is the way to go.

During our time in Shanwei, we spent the night at DoubleTree by Hilton Shanwei – rooms around HK$700 to HK$800 a night off peak – which overlooks Jingting Bay and is minutes from a beach 7km (4.3 miles) long that is popular with families and couples. Around 10 minutes away by foot is the Jingting Bay chapel, now a coffee shop, and a handful of seaside restaurants.
The hotel offers entertainment for children and adults alike, including claw machines, arcade games, karaoke booths and even electric mini buggies that can be driven on the property, for which prices start at 128 yuan (US$18) for 15 minutes.

What to do and see
Because the waves are rougher in the waters around Shanwei than around Hong Kong, water sports like kayaking and stand-up paddle boarding are not recommended. Instead, surfing, jet skiing and sailing are better suited to the waves here; if they are not your thing, you can simply take a boat ride to see the city from the ocean.
Those looking for culture can visit the Fengshan Temple or seek out shadow puppetry and Chinese opera performances. Shanwei is known for its handicrafts, particularly qilin – Chinese unicorn – costumes and headdresses.
What to eat and drink
For food, the Ermalu (literally “Second Road”) night market is worth visiting, and its offerings reflect the city’s confluence of Chaoshan, Hakka and Guangfu cultures.
Aside from seafood such as shrimps, scallops, oysters and fish – best to try these cooked and not raw to avoid any chance of food poisoning, residents advise – do not miss out on the beef brisket, beef balls and sliced beef typically served in hotpot, which can be had at a number of restaurants. Shanwei is close to Shantou, which is known for its Chaozhou beef hotpot, and the two cities share an affinity for the meat.

Another Shanwei speciality to try is lei cha, which translates to “pounded tea” and originates in Hakka cuisine. To make the drink, tea leaves and a variety of herbs are first ground with a mortar and pestle, then steeped in water and later topped with sesame seeds, peanuts and puffed rice.
The resulting drink is soup-like and savoury, as opposed to sweet.
End the night with a fresh fruit dessert or a Chinese dessert soup, the latter of which can be had for 8 yuan. In particular, look out for soups with shuangtoujian, which translates as “double-headed tip” – a topping made with sweet potato flour that resembles silver needle noodles and has a chewy, jellylike texture.
Mainland China travel trends
The emergence of Shanwei as a weekend travel destination, especially for the tens of millions of people living in the Greater Bay Area that includes Hong Kong, Macau, Shenzhen and Guangzhou, reflects travel trends across mainland China.
In particular, Gen Alpha and Gen Z are increasingly shaping family travel plans in the Asia-Pacific (APAC) region, and 98 per cent of young Chinese travellers are now actively involved in the planning process for family holidays, according to Hilton Group’s 2025 Trends Report.

This means hotels face the challenge of offering travellers a diversity of experiences that are family-friendly and cater to the desires of young travellers. More generally, Gen Alpha and Gen Z travellers in the APAC region are prioritising entertainment, sports, adventure and meaningful connections with loved ones.
These young travellers are also gravitating towards experiences that offer a connection to cultural heritage – 73 per cent of them look forward to exploring their roots through travel, according to Hilton’s report. This mirrors the worldwide trend of “slow travel”, which sees travellers looking to immerse themselves in local cultures.
As a city, Shanwei offers much of what Gen Alpha and Gen Z are looking for – a sense of adventure and nods to its distinct cultural heritage, while distinguishing itself from nearby destinations with its coastal identity.
Given all this, perhaps it is only a matter of time before travellers from Hong Kong make that weekend trip out to Shanwei instead of Shenzhen.
The writer was hosted by DoubleTree by Hilton Shanwei during her stay.


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What makes Shanwei in Guangdong ideal for a weekend break? Sunsets, seafood and more

A sunset view from the former Jingting Bay chapel in Shanwei. Photo: Mabel Lui

Sunset in Shanwei, eastern Guangdong, is as stunning as any you will see in Bali 
 or Phuket, and the city is only 90 minutes by high-speed train from Hong Kong. Go there to enjoy the food, water sports and handicrafts. Photo: Mabel Lui

The balcony view from one of DoubleTree by Hilton Shanwei’s seaview rooms. Photo: DoubleTree by Hilton Shanwei

The sunset view from the Jingting Bay chapel, now a coffee shop. Photo: Mabel Lui

The Jingting Bay chapel in Shanwei, which is now a coffee shop called Take Five. Photo: Mabel Lui

As the waves in Shanwei beaches are quite strong, water sports like sailing are preferred over kayaking and stand-up paddle boarding. Photo: Mabel Lui

Beef balls and sliced beef from a restaurant at Shanwei’s Ermalu night market. Photo: Mabel Lui

Lei cha is made with pounded tea leaves and herbs, and topped with peanuts, sesame seeds and puffed rice. Photo: Mabel Lui

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Lifestyle

Travel & Leisure

There are many reasons Hongkongers should visit Shanwei, from diverse food offerings to beaches, water sports and stunning sunsets


There are many reasons Hongkongers should visit Shanwei, from diverse food offerings to beaches, water sports and stunning sunsets.


China travel

Asia travel

Tourism