Three-Day Mid-Autumn Holiday: Two Dessert Soup Festivals in Shenzhen
The 2026 Mid-Autumn holiday on the mainland runs from 25 September (Friday) to 27 September (Sunday). If you head north after work on Thursday 24 September, you effectively get four days. The most notable thing about Shenzhen this Mid-Autumn is that two dessert soup-themed markets are opening at the same time: one at Bao'an Uniwalk, and one at Taizi Bay in Shekou, Nanshan. Both are directly accessible by metro, free to enter, and charge per bowl of dessert soup — perfect for the Hong Kong rhythm of "walk over for a bowl of sweet soup after dinner."
1. Bao'an Uniwalk's First Autumn Dessert Soup Festival (24–27 September)
- Dates: 24 to 27 September 2026 (covering the three-day Mid-Autumn holiday)
- Hours: 14:00–21:00
- Location: "Xunye Lane" at Bao'an Uniwalk mall (junction of Xinhu Road and Haicheng Road, Bao'an District, Shenzhen)
- Transport: Metro Line 1, Pingzhou Station Exit A, seamless direct access to the mall's B1 level (the mall itself is open 10:00–22:00)
- Admission: Free; dessert soups are charged per bowl or per cup, generally around ¥15–35 per bowl depending on the brand and style (subject to on-site prices)
Debut Brand Line-up (as announced by the organisers up to 8 September)
- Guangzhou Wenming Baihua Traditional Desserts: A Guangzhou time-honoured dessert shop, known for traditional double-skin milk and black sesame paste
- Gangyagou: A Zhejiang provincial intangible cultural heritage brand and time-honoured shop, famous for its Ningbo glutinous rice balls
- Yuelianxuan Chaoshan Desserts (Bao'an branch): Chaoshan sweet soups, including duck mother dumplings and Qingxin pills
- Xihexuan: Shenzhen's original coconut fried ice
- Pudding Yama Tofu Pudding Shop: Taiwanese old-school tofu pudding dessert soup, third-generation Taiwanese craftsmanship
- Tan Tang Tian Ma Handmade: Popular handmade dessert soup from Zhongshan
- Chaoshan Qingtian Explosive Ice Shop: Chaoshan tea ice, original red peach cake guava ice
- Xiaoping's Old-School Winter Melon Tea: Old-school winter melon tea
- Shuran Dessert Soup: Handmade rock sugar snow pear, authentic dessert soups
- Xiaoxiao (Lingxia Changji): Bao'an's local traditional hidden-gem dessert soup — you can't get it once you leave Bao'an
- Eat a Bowl of Sweet Chaoshan Sweet Soup: Committed to handmade Chaoshan hometown flavours
Uniwalk covers about 160,000 square metres and is one of Bao'an's busiest malls: B1 has a supermarket and a budget food street, while upper floors have a cinema and a children's playground — after the market you can pick up daily necessities and have dinner. The market is set up in "Xunye Lane," the mall's liveliest evening spot, and runs until 9pm, so there's still food to be had if you go after dinner.
2. Shekou Taizi Bay Dessert Soup Festival (24–27 September)
- Dates: 24 to 27 September 2026
- Location: China Merchants Shekou Taizi Bay Garden City VILLA (an all-white waterfront district), Nanshan District, Shenzhen
- Admission: Free, no booking required
- Transport: Metro Line 12, Taizi Bay Station Exit B1, about a 500-metre walk; or take the ferry from Sheung Wan Hong Kong-Macau Ferry Terminal to Shekou Cruise Homeport (about 50 minutes, roughly 5 sailings a day) and walk over after disembarking
This market brings together several Cantonese-style dessert soup brands, with time-honoured names and creative desserts all in one place: double-skin milk, green bean soup, sea stone flower, coconut jelly, hand-rubbed grass jelly, plus icy specials. Taizi Bay Garden City VILLA is a waterfront district that opened in 2025 — step out of the mall and you're at the seaside and Shekou Cruise Homeport. It's superb for photos at dusk, making it ideal for combining dessert soup with a sunset in one trip.
Note: Bao'an Uniwalk and Shekou Taizi Bay are two different dessert soup festivals — don't tap the wrong place. The two are about 30 kilometres apart, and doing both in one day would be very rushed; it's best to pick one.
How to Get There from Hong Kong? Three Ways
- To Uniwalk (most convenient): Cross the border at Luohu Port, take Shenzhen Metro Line 1 directly from Luohu Station (towards Airport East), get off at Pingzhou Station, and Exit A leads straight into the mall's B1 — no line changes en route; if you enter via Futian Port, take Line 4 to Convention & Exhibition Center and change to Line 1.
- To Taizi Bay: After crossing at Shenzhen Bay Port, a ride-hailing car takes about 20 minutes; or take Metro Line 13 into the city and change to Line 12 — following Amap's real-time route is the safest bet.
- By ferry: From Sheung Wan Hong Kong-Macau Ferry Terminal to Shekou Cruise Homeport, then about a 10-minute walk to Taizi Bay Garden City — no need to squeeze onto the metro.
What Is Dessert Soup? It's Actually a Taste Hongkongers Know Well
"Dessert soup" (tong sui) is the Cantonese term for Chinese-style sweet soup desserts: double-skin milk, black sesame paste, red bean soup, green bean soup, glutinous rice balls, sea stone flower, Qingxin pills, hand-rubbed grass jelly — Hongkongers have eaten these since childhood. The biggest draw of these two markets is being able to taste versions from different cities all at once: Guangzhou's offerings lean thick and creamy; Chaoshan specialises in light sweetness and hand-rolled dumplings (duck mother dumplings, Qingxin pills); Taiwanese tofu pudding goes old-school; Ningbo excels at glutinous rice balls; Zhongshan dessert soups are mostly made fresh on the spot. Even the same bowl of green bean soup uses different ingredients in different cities — walk around and you can taste the difference.
On price, a bowl of dessert soup at the market is generally ¥15–35, 30 to 50 percent cheaper than Hong Kong dessert shops, but portions tend to be small, so I'd suggest 2 to 3 people each ordering one kind and sharing — you can try four or five varieties in one round. Both markets focus on making things fresh on the spot; ingredients are freshest in the first hour after opening. The later it gets, the more crowded it becomes, and famous stalls may sell out early — so arrive early if you want to try them all.
Practical Tips
- 24 September (Thursday) has the smallest crowds; Mid-Autumn day itself on 25 September and the weekend are the busiest. For comfort, go on the first day at dusk.
- Most market stalls accept WeChat Pay and Alipay — remember to link your Hong Kong credit card in advance; there are also ATMs inside Uniwalk mall.
- The Uniwalk market is indoors, so rain is no problem; Taizi Bay is an outdoor waterfront, so bring an umbrella if it rains — it's windy.
- Market portions are on the small side; I suggest going with 2–3 people, each ordering one item to swap and share, so you can try more stalls at once.
- If you want photos, Taizi Bay has the best light at dusk from 18:00–19:00; at Uniwalk's "Xunye Lane," the neon signs look best at night.
FAQ
Do the dessert soup festivals require tickets?
Both are free to enter with no booking required; you only pay for food, generally ¥15–35 per bowl.
Which dessert soup festival is better for bringing kids?
Uniwalk is more suitable: it's indoors with air conditioning, toilets, a children's playground and a supermarket, and it's easy to push a stroller; Taizi Bay's waterfront involves more walking and is sunny in summer.
Can I do both markets in one day?
Not recommended. Uniwalk is in Xixiang, Bao'an, and Taizi Bay is in Shekou, Nanshan — about 30 kilometres apart, and over an hour by metro including transfers. It's better to pick one and enjoy it fully.
What other Shenzhen activities are there during the Mid-Autumn holiday?
Shenzhen Museum, Nanshan Museum and Shenzhen Art Museum all have free exhibitions during Mid-Autumn, and some venues open as normal during the holiday (closed Mondays) — you can schedule them for the same day.
Will the event times change?
Event information is published by Shenzhen's culture and tourism authorities and the malls. Before setting off, it's best to confirm once more via Amap or the mall's mini-programme — on-site arrangements prevail.
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