This year’s KiCon Asia returns to Shenzhen at the Huaqiang Plaza Hotel Shenzhen in Futian District. The hotel is located in the heart of Huaqiangbei, Shenzhen’s world-famous electronics district, with electronics markets, restaurants, cafés and shopping all within easy walking distance.

The hotel occupies the upper floors of Huaqiang Plaza and offers spacious meeting facilities with panoramic views over central Shenzhen. Huaqiangbei Metro Station is immediately beside the building, making the venue easy to reach from Shenzhen Airport, the city’s main railway stations and the border crossings from Hong Kong.

Meet the KiCad community in the heart of China’s hardware Silicon Valley.

Get there by car/taxi

For DiDi or another ride-hailing app, search for:

• English listing: Huaqiang Plaza Hotel Shenzhen (Huaqiangbei Metro Station)
• Chinese listing: 深圳华强广场酒店（华强北地铁站店）
• Full address in English: 23rd Floor, Tower A, Huaqiang Plaza, No. 1019 Huaqiang North Road, Futian District, Shenzhen, Guangdong, China
• Full address in Chinese: 广东省深圳市福田区华强北路1019号华强广场A座23楼

The hotel lobby is on the 23rd floor of Tower A. When arriving by taxi, ask the driver to stop at the Huaqiang Plaza Hotel entrance and follow the signs for the hotel elevators.

• From Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport: approximately 35–60 minutes by taxi, depending on traffic.
• From Shenzhen North Railway Station: approximately 20–35 minutes by taxi.
• From Futian, Huanggang or Luohu ports: approximately 10–25 minutes by taxi.
• From Shekou Cruise Home Port: approximately 30–45 minutes by taxi.

Journey times are estimates and can increase significantly during weekday rush hours.

Get there by metro

The closest station is Huaqiang North (华强北) on Line 2 and Line 7. Use Exit A, follow the signs for Huaqiang Plaza / Tower A, and take the hotel elevators to the lobby on the 23rd floor.

• From Shenzhen Bao’an International Airport: take Line 11 to Huaqiang South (华强南), transfer to Line 7, and travel one stop to Huaqiang North. Allow about 50–60 minutes in total.
• From Shenzhen North Railway Station: take Line 4 to Civic Center (市民中心), transfer to Line 2, and continue to Huaqiang North. Allow about 30–40 minutes.
• From Huanggang Port: take Line 7 directly from Huanggang Checkpoint (皇岗口岸) to Huaqiang North. Allow about 15–20 minutes.
• From Futian Checkpoint: take Line 4 to Civic Center, transfer to Line 2, and continue to Huaqiang North. Allow about 25–35 minutes.
• From Luohu Port / Shenzhen Railway Station: take Line 1 to Huaqiang Road (华强路), then walk north for about 5–8 minutes to Huaqiang Plaza.
• From Shekou Cruise Home Port: take Line 2 directly from Shekou Port (蛇口港) to Huaqiang North. Allow about 50–60 minutes.

Metro routes and operating hours may change. Check the latest route before travelling, especially for late-night arrivals.

How to get to Shenzhen: Visa Requirements

Whether you are planning on visiting KiCon 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:

1. Check visa requirements into mainland China for your country
2. 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 2026, 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