This year’s KiCon Asia will be returning to Shenzhen but at the Atour Hotel venue in the Nanshan district, a stone’s throw away from Maker Faire Shenzhen. The hotel is in the newly developed Vanke Cloud City which has easy access from the metro and plenty of modern restaurants and shops nearby. The area has a spacious urban feel and is a hub for creative innovation and design such as the Vanke Design Commune.
Get there by car/taxi
The venue’s address in english is:
Shenzhen Nanshan District, Vanke Cloud City, Atour Hotel
The address to give to the taxi driver is:
深圳南山万科云城亚朵酒店
In case they are not familiar with the area, the full address is:
广东省深圳市南山区西丽街道西丽社区打石一路万科云城亚朵酒店
The hotel is a 25-40 minute drive from the airport, Shekou and Huanggang ports.
Get there by metro
The closest station is Liu Xian Dong (留仙洞) station on line 5. From the airport it takes around 45 minutes to the station which involves one transfer.
Then, the hotel is a leisurely 12 minute walk through the greenery from Exit A:
Maps:
Driving and taking the metro to Atour hotel in Vanke Cloud City:
Liu Xian Dong station exit A to Atour Hotel:
How to get to Shenzhen: Visa Requirements
Whether you are planning on visiting the Shenzhen Maker Faire, KiCon or both this Autumn, getting into China can be a daunting process and applying for a visa in advance may not be necessary. Regulations change fast and information online may not always be up to date so here we’ve laid out some popular options and dug-up some reliable resources.
Fortunately, more and more countries are eligible for 144-hour visa-free transit or 5 day visa-on-arrival, giving you more flexibility when planning your trip. Which route you take will depend on 1) the country of your passport 2) port of entry and 3) if you want to spend time in Hong Kong. Please note that Hong Kong has it’s own visa policies independant of mainland China.
If traveling directly to Shenzhen via plane then check if you are eligible for 144-hour visa-free transit. This also applies if you are flying directly to Hong Kong and transferring to Shenzhen directly by ferry. If you will first spend time in Hong Kong then travel up to Shenzhen then consider the 5-day Visa on Arrival or Port Visa. Passport holders of a few select countries are also elligible for 15 day visa-free entry and some do not have any restrictions at all.
Get started:
- Check visa requirements into mainland China for your country
- Check which short term visa/visa-free options are available for your country and specific situation
15 Days Visa-free Entry
If you hold a passport of one of these countries you are eligible for 15 days visa-free entry into China:
France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Malaysia, Switzerland, Ireland, Hungary, Austria, Belgium, Luxembourg, Australia, New Zealand, and Poland.
You may enter via all air, land and sea ports and can enter as many times as you like until the end of 2025, lucky you!
More info:
https://www.chinadiscovery.com/chinese-visa/exemptions/15-days-visa-free-entry-policy.html
144-hour visa-free transit
144-hour visa free transit is the cheapest and most hassle free way to get into mainland China if you are not elligible for 15 days visa-free entry, but your point of entry must be at selected ports in mainland China. For Shenzhen that means via Shenzhen Bao-an Airport, or Hong Kong International Airport AND transferring directly to Shenzhen Shekou port via ferry. If you exit Hong Kong airport into Hong Kong then you lose this eligibilty.
No visa application is necessary (but you may need to go through designated channels) and you get 6 days of free roam in Shenzhen! You can also visit Hong Kong (but make sure you have the means to get on your return flight)
This option is best if you only plan to spend time in Shenzhen and you can find good flights. But flights to and from Hong Kong tend to be much more frequent and cheaper. If you want to spend time in Hong Kong it may be best to first transfer to Shenzhen via ferry, spend 6 days there then travel to Hong Kong before getting on your return flight.
Check elligibility:
https://english.www.gov.cn/policies/featured/202311/24/content_WS65608167c6d0868f4e8e199f.html
More info:
https://www.chinadiscovery.com/chinese-visa/144-hour-visa-free.html
5-day Visa on Arrival (VOA)
The 5-day visa on arrival is great if you want to spend time in Hong Kong first then work your way up to Shenzhen. The process is more cumbersome and you do have to apply for a visa at the border. The process takes around half-an-hour to complete and you will need RMB currency to pay.
You can apply for VOA at the following entry points: Bao-An airport and Shekou port (if you are not eligible for 144-hour visa), Huanggang and Luohu ports. Note: the visa is not available at the Futian port!
When crossing into mainland China there are two document inspection gates, one on the Hong Kong side and one for mainland China. You apply for VOA in the middle, i.e. first cross the Hong Kong border then look for signs directing towards the the office for applying for VOA, which may be referred to as a Port Visa.
More info:
https://www.chinadiscovery.com/shenzhen-tours/shenzhen-visa-on-arrival.html