2026 has brought more than just new malls to Shenzhen — the real highlights this autumn are a batch of new landmarks that are great to look at, great to photograph, and cost next to nothing: flagship IP stores, libraries, reading rooms and museums. This guide is organised by the three exits — Luohu Checkpoint, Futian Checkpoint and Shenzhen Bay Checkpoint — so you can head straight there once you're through.
All information was checked in mid-September. Most admission is free; even MINISO LAND only costs you money if you buy something.
1. From Luohu Checkpoint (Dongmen, Yijing area)
1. MINISO LAND Dongmen Flagship Store — South China's largest MINISO theme store
The largest MINISO theme park in South China, spanning 1,500 square metres across a standalone three-storey building, with IP products making up 90% of the range and covering over a hundred IPs including Sanrio, Chiikawa and Disney. The first floor is a Shenzhen city-exclusive zone, the second is a plush toy paradise, and the third has immersive Harry Potter and Toy Story display areas.
- Address: 1-3/F, Mingshi Mall, Jiefang Road, Dongmen Pedestrian Street, Luohu District
- Transport: Metro Line 1, Laojie Station Exit A or E, about a 5-minute walk
- Opening hours: 10:00–23:00
2. New Baima Dimension No. 9 — Dongmen's new ACG hub
The newest ACG mecca in the Dongmen old street area of Luohu, a 2,000-square-metre space wrapped in blue holographic screens, with a huge outdoor LED "pain building" screen. Inside there are plenty of gashapon machines and photo walls, plus a dedicated changing room for cosplayers, and merchandise (guzi) is cheaper than in mall stores.
- Location: within the Dongmen old street commercial area, Luohu (near New Baima Clothing Market)
- Transport: walk from Metro Line 1, Laojie Station
- Cost: free entry, gashapon from ¥20
3. Luohu Library — a 21-storey "mountain of books", China's first HarmonyOS technology library
After reopening, Luohu Library has a total floor area of 77,000 square metres across 21 storeys, with floors 1 to 16 currently open. The ground floor has a HarmonyOS smart hall, reading areas for seniors and braille users, and a 24-hour self-service library; floors two and three are children's picture book and teen spaces. Every book in the library has a QR code, so you can check its location on your phone.
- Address: 1016 Yijing Road, Luohu District
- Transport: Metro Line 5, Yijing Station Exit C
- Opening hours: 9:00–21:00 (Tuesday to Sunday, closed Mondays)
- Admission: free, no booking required
2. From Futian Checkpoint (Futian, Longhua line)
4. Shenzhen Baixing Shufang (Archives Building branch) — a 24-hour free glass reading room
Futian's "Baixing Shufang" is a four-storey glass-curtain-wall building. The ground-floor public reading area and study room are open free 24 hours, the second floor has six single study pods ("Jingsi Rooms"), and the first floor has a six-person room ("Shixi Hall") — you can study through the night. The library holds about 20,000 books and features a "sky-high bookshelf".
- Location: Baixing Shufang (Archives Building branch), Futian District
- Transport: Metro Line 1/6, Science Museum Station Exit D or F; Line 9, Hongling South Station Exit A
- Opening hours: Sunday to Thursday 9:00–21:30, Friday to Saturday 9:00–22:00; closed Mondays (the separate 24-hour reading area is open all year round)
- Admission: free; study rooms require online booking
5. Shenzhen Library North Branch + Shenzhen Art Museum New Branch — the Longhua Hongshan twin venues
The Hongshan Station area in Longhua has two landmark venues joined together. Shenzhen Library North Branch has a floor area of about 72,000 square metres across 8 storeys, shaped like a white box, with a smart book storage facility on 3 basement levels; right next door is the Shenzhen Art Museum New Branch, so you can go straight from reading to viewing paintings.
- Address: Building 1, 30 Tenglong Road, Daling Community, Minzhi Subdistrict, Longhua District
- Transport: Metro Line 4/6, Hongshan Station Exit A1, about a 300-metre walk
- Opening hours: Tuesday to Sunday 9:00–21:00 (ground-floor Yuedu Hall 7:00–23:00); only part of the venue opens on Mondays
- Admission: free, no booking required
6. Longhua Piano Museum — see ¥20 million worth of antique pianos for free
Shenzhen's largest historical piano museum, with about 5,300 square metres of exhibition space and nearly 3,000 antique piano pieces in its collection, displaying 258 antique pianos — all from the collection of Mr Xu Jingyan, which is why it is also called "one man's museum". The oldest piece is a 1776 square piano, and most of the rest are over a century old.
- Address: 65 Minfu North Road, Minzhi, Longhua District
- Transport: Metro Line 5, Minzhi Station Exit D, walk towards "Shenbao Mao Building"
- Opening hours: Tuesday to Friday 8:30–17:30, Saturday and Sunday 8:30–19:30 (closed Mondays)
- Admission: free, no booking required
3. From Shenzhen Bay Checkpoint (Nanshan, Bao'an line)
7. Shenzhen Bay MixC Phase Two "Pink Street" — McDonald's first "McArt Museum" in the world
A newly opened art-grade commercial street district with a futuristic pink palette, connected to Shenzhen Bay Culture Plaza, with nearly 40 brands including the world's first McDonald's "McArt Museum", HAY's first Shenzhen store and the il Bliss ice cream lab. The underground space blends intangible cultural heritage with modern creativity, making it one of Shenzhen's hottest cultural photo spots lately.
- Location: Pink Street, B1, Zone B, Shenzhen Bay MixC (next to Lift Hall 05)
- Transport: Metro Line 2, 11 or 13, Houhai Station Exit H or G
- Opening hours: Sunday to Thursday 10:00–22:00; Friday to Saturday 10:00–22:30
8. Nanshan Shufang · Hongyi Pavilion — a reading base inside Lixiang Park
Nanshan Shufang · Hongyi Pavilion in Lixiang Park holds 10,000 books, with the first and second floors open and immersive reading seats plus tiered reading areas. Outside in the park there are over 1,000 lychee trees and a large lawn — step out for a breather when reading gets tiring.
- Location: beside the west gate of Lixiang Park, Nantou, Nanshan District
- Transport: Metro Line 12, Nantou Ancient City Station Exit A, about a 600-metre walk to Lixiang Park's west gate
- Opening hours: 8:00–23:00 (family zone 8:00–21:00), closed on alternate Mondays
- Admission: free
9. Eye of the Bay Area (Bao'an Library New Branch) — a 200,000-square-metre mega book city
One of the largest book cities in the world, shaped like a giant eye gazing at the bay, with over 200,000 square metres of interior space and millions of books, plus a soaring starry dome, a spiral book gallery, smart guides and art salons.
- Address: Haitian Road, Bao'an District
- Transport: Metro Line 5, Baohua Station, direct access
- Opening hours: Sunday to Thursday 10:00–22:00; Friday to Saturday 10:00–22:30
- Admission: free
The fastest routes from the three checkpoints
| Checkpoint | Suggested route | Matching new landmarks |
|---|---|---|
| Luohu Checkpoint | Exit and transfer to Metro Line 1, get off at Laojie Station and walk 5 minutes | MINISO LAND, New Baima Dimension No. 9, Luohu Library |
| Futian Checkpoint | Exit and transfer to Line 4/10; for Longhua transfer to Line 4 to Hongshan Station | Baixing Shufang, Shenzhen Library North Branch, Piano Museum |
| Shenzhen Bay Checkpoint | Exit and take Line 13, get off at Houhai Station for MixC Phase Two | Pink Street, Nanshan Shufang, Eye of the Bay Area |
FAQ
Do I need to book for all of them?
Of the nine landmarks, only the study rooms at Baixing Shufang require online booking; all the rest are free to enter without booking. Shenzhen Library North Branch only opens part of its space on Mondays, so avoid that day when planning.
Which are best for kids?
MINISO LAND (second-floor plush toys, third-floor Harry Potter area) and Baixing Shufang (children's picture book zone) are the best fits; the Piano Museum is more static for children, but they can get hands-on with history.
Is one afternoon enough for two of them?
The Luohu route (MINISO LAND + Luohu Library) and the Nanshan route (Pink Street + Nanshan Shufang) each work as a half-day; the Futian route spans a wider area, so it's best to pair Library North Branch with the Art Museum New Branch as a two-venue visit.
Practical tips
- September in Shenzhen is still hot, so schedule outdoor stops (Pink Street, Lixiang Park) for after 16:00
- Library-type venues mostly close on Mondays, so check before planning
- MINISO LAND is less crowded after 10pm, so no queuing for photos
- Free venues have strong air conditioning, making them a good choice on rainy days
This article was compiled from U Travel and Shenzhen Window reports dated 11 September 2026. Opening hours and exhibition periods may change, so please refer to the venues' official announcements before setting off.
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