Ray Hecht

I’VE lived in Futian District for several years now, and at this point I consider it my home. Every so often I find myself a kind of amateur tour guide, whenever I have a guest visiting from afar. Relatives or old friends expect me to show them around the center of Shenzhen, and I’m happy to do so.

In fact, some might say Futian is the best representation of China as a whole. As the central district of Shenzhen — the leading city in China’s rapid economic development — this place is the best introduction for people who are new to the land. Shopping, nature, books, art, Futian has it all.

Last year my sister visited me, all the way from America. She flew into Hong Kong, and while we went sightseeing there I was anxious to cross the border and show her around my town. Luckily, we didn’t have to be pressed for time because the Huanggang border checkpoint is open 24 hours a day.

The next day, the first stop on my personal tour was Lianhua Hill Park. Right at Children’s Palace — great for kids, next to Shenzhen Concert Hall with live musicians playing outdoors in the evenings, and Book City for all the readers out there, including Eon Books upstairs with a large English-language selection. At the park it was fun to enjoy the beautiful sights of kites flying above the pristine natural environment. We bought our own kite from a vendor and joined the fun.

“Shenzhen is much greener than I imagined,” she told me. In the end we climbed all the way up to see the famous statue of Deng Xiaoping.

Next we decided to do something educational and checked out the nearby museums, right in walking distance: Shenzhen Museum in the iconic Civic Center building and full of interesting historical artifacts, and Guan Shanyue Art Museum, full of traditional Chinese paintings and the latest exhibitions by talented contemporary artists. All exhibitions were free of charge.

Day after day, we hopped from one Metro station to the next. I took her to Hua-qiang Road, one of the most crowded electronics markets in the world. We geeked out and spent hours looking for deals on the latest products. The SEG skyscraper made for good pictures. From there it was a quick Metro ride to the very center of it all, Convention and Exhibition Center, which connects to Central Walk mall. A good place to watch movies at the JY Cinema and try the award-winning pizza at NYPD. Underground, we walked into Link City, which leads to the Shopping Park station. Some of my favorite restaurants are there, for palates from all over the world. There is McCawley’s, an Irish pub that shares a menu with adjacent Mexican restaurant Tequila Coyote Cantina. Love the nachos and burritos. La Casa has an eclectic menu with pasta and more pizza, and Rapscallions Cafe Bar is great for hamburgers. All venues have live music. The Coco Park mall is right around the corner, with a good atmosphere for window shopping and checking out the latest fashions.

Lastly, the nightlife brings a world all its own. Shopping Park has a tremendous dance club scene, from Viva’s to Club Pepper to LAX to Lili Marleen. The hottest DJs spin incredible music all night. It’s perfect for bar-hopping and trying out many different drinks, with each place steps away from others. Evening Show is further off, down Fuhua 3rd Road, but it’s worth a taxi ride -- the place is epically huge with an unbelievable dance floor and total luxury. Usually no cover charge, unless a particularly famous DJ is touring and in town, and then it’s well worth the price of admission.

That’s Futian, the central district of a leading city in this most captivating country. I tried my best to leave my sister and other guests with a good impression, and in this place it’s not hard to do so.

Ray Hecht is an English teacher and freelance journalist living in Shenzhen. Born in Israel in 1982, he was raised in Cincinnati, Ohio, the United States. He studied film and screen writing at Long Beach City College in California. Since 2008 he has been living in Shenzhen, teaching English and learning Chinese while working on his novels. He aspires to be a writer.