Paul Martin

I'VE lived in Shenzhen for about four years now and have had lots of varied experiences in this young, paradoxical city. I met my Chinese wife in England, where I'm from, and we had our son there before choosing to move here because this is where she grew up. 

It can be difficult in any city in the world to find places to go as a family without spending lots of money. But Shenzhen has fantastic public spaces around the city, and in Futian there are many interesting places of which expatriates may not be aware.

A little gem that people may have missed is Shenzhen Expo Garden — the park even houses a dinosaur museum within its ample grounds. It might not be a good idea to visit the museum in hot weather, though, as it felt far from where we had entered the park, causing our child to moan that he was too hot. That can be a toxic mix. But the sight of model dinosaurs, in all their rubber glory, managed to subdue my little cherub from his heat-induced state.

The park I regularly visit with my family is Lianhua Hill Park and its surrounding area, where I feel all the pomp of modern China. The book shop area provides a large venue for people to peruse a vast selection of literature. I especially like going with my son to the children's section, where he can spend half a day looking at different titles. My only suggestion to the management would be to add a few seats for people to sit on -- nothing extravagant is needed, just a few benches.

Book City CBD Store is a grand metropolis of not only the would-be wise but also of people looking for something to eat. The restaurant areas are cacophonies of the usual suspects — KFC, Croissants de France and Starbucks — mixed with culinary delights such as Gaga. 

On exiting Book City to the west, you can find a wonderful squared area divided into grass, concrete and benches. I've often found myself wandering around this area, taking in the calmness or watching an exotic performance, of which there are many. If it gets too noisy, just walk 100 meters -- it's like turning the volume down on an

MP3 player.

The best thing about the whole Book City complex is that you can go on the roof and walk toward the Shenzhen government building, the Civic Center. The design of this building merges traditional Chinese architecture with a very modern feel. The huge Civic Center also houses Shenzhen Museum, which you can lose yourself in for a few hours.

In addition, the complex's roof area always seems to be relatively quiet, which is surprising because it's in the center of the city.

You can walk straight from the Book City complex to Lianhua Hill Park, which often is a curious mix of families and hawkers trying to sell their wares to unsuspecting children. I often go there with my son, who likes running around in the park's broad open spaces. Children love climbing on a rusty sculpture near the park's Book City entrance, which makes me wish there was a proper climbing frame.

Recently, a new deck area has been built that provides a shaded spot for weary parents and is very convenient in the summer heat. At certain times of the year, people sell fresh honey in the comb in the wooded spots that surround the field areas; this is an experience worth having if you've never seen it before.

On a different note, I understand that hawkers need to make money, but wish they would accept that "no" means "no" the first time.

Overall, the Book City area is well worth a visit. You can keep the little ones entertained and relax yourself, while exploring the heart of dynamic Futian.

 Paul Martin has been living in Shenzhen for four and a half years with his family. He's been working in education over the period for different companies around the city.