Guangdong people are used to having a bowl of sweet soup after a meal before calling it "complete", and Hongkongers heading north to Shenzhen can find plenty of great dessert shops too. This time we introduce eight dessert/sweet soup shops that are genuinely in Shenzhen and well regarded by locals, organised by three border crossings: Luohu, Futian and Nanshan (Shenzhen Bay). From old establishments in Shekou to trendy little shops in Nantou Ancient Town, all come with Amap navigation, so you won't get lost.
🥭 Baicaotang Ancestral Herbal Tea Shop (百草堂祖傳涼茶鋪) (Shekou branch) — popular old establishment for mango pomelo sago
Baicaotang Ancestral Herbal Tea Shop (百草堂祖傳涼茶鋪) has been open in Shekou for over thirty years. It started as an old establishment selling ancestral herbal tea, but what really made it "go viral" is its signature mango pomelo sago: big chunks of fresh mango with coconut milk, sago and pomelo sacs, generous portions, sweet, tangy and icy. Besides the mango pomelo sago, the turtle jelly and herbal tea are also made with traditional craft. The shop stays open until 2am, so even if you want a bowl of something sweet during late-night supper hours it's still open. On weekends you usually have to queue; to save time you can pre-order via the WeChat mini-programme "Baicaotang Ancestral Herbal Tea Shop".
Address: 207 Shekou New Street, Nanshan District (opposite Shekou Cinema); about a 5-minute walk from Exit D of Dongjiaotou Station on Metro Line 2. It's only about ten minutes' drive from Shenzhen Bay Port, so it's very much on the way.
🏮 Bin Ma Sweet Soup (彬媽糖水) — a trendy sweet soup shop inside Nantou Ancient Town
Bin Ma Sweet Soup (彬媽糖水) focuses on the home-style taste of Cantonese sweet soup, giving traditional sweet soups a bit of a modern twist. Its signature Bin Ma Grand Slam has taro balls, red bean paste, peach gum, lotus seeds and turtle jelly all in one bowl, with rich layers of texture; if you want something lighter, go for the rock sugar snow fungus papaya. The shop has two floors, and the second floor has retro decor with stained-glass windows — great for photos.
Address: Room 101, 41 Zhongshan South Street, Nantou City Community, Nantou Subdistrict, Nanshan District — right inside the Nantou Ancient Town scenic area, so you can plan a half-day trip of "strolling the ancient town + eating sweet soup". When you get tired in the afternoon, sitting down for a bowl of something sweet is just right. Opening hours are roughly 12:00-21:00.
🍡 Yuelianxuan Chaoshan Desserts (閱蓮軒潮汕甜品) — duck mother dumplings five-fruit soup
If you want to try Chaoshan flavours, head to Yuelianxuan Chaoshan Desserts (閱蓮軒潮汕甜品). The shop's classic duck mother dumplings five-fruit soup is a traditional Chaoshan dessert: duck mother dumplings are the Chaoshan version of filled tangyuan, shaped like duck eggs, served with a five-fruit soup simmered from kidney beans, job's tears, lotus seeds, taro and snow fungus. The dumpling skin is chewy and the filling is fragrant and smooth; served chilled it's excellent for beating the heat. The ingredients are carefully chosen — lotus seeds from Jianning in Fujian, taro from Lipu in Guangxi — all strictly sourced from the owner's hometown in Chaoshan.
Address: A13, Building 6, Pengsheng Village, Bagualing, Futian District (go into the alley next to Xianhao Life Supermarket); opening hours are roughly 11:00-23:00. This is the first Shenzhen branch of Yuelianxuan; the original shop has over twenty years of history in Chaoshan.
🍵 Setting off from Luohu Port: old-establishment sweet soup you can eat right after crossing the border
If you don't want to travel all the way from Luohu Port into Nanshan, Luohu District itself actually has several affordable, well-regarded sweet soup shops just a few stops away after crossing the border:
Shenzhou Sweet Soup Shop (深洲糖水店) (Luohu branch) — a thirty-year-old establishment in Nigang Village
Shenzhou Sweet Soup Shop (深洲糖水店) opened in 1995 and is one of the representatives of Shenzhen's "old-school sweet soup". It has always been in Nigang Village, Luohu, with down-to-earth prices and only mild increases over the years. It's the sweet soup shop that Shenzhen Middle School students and nearby neighbours have grown up eating at. Its signatures include black sesame paste, mung bean paste, sweet potato soup, bean curd sheet and ginkgo sweet soup, and fresh fruit grass jelly. A bowl costs just over ten yuan, with generous ingredients and just-right sweetness. The shop isn't big — a typical neighbourhood little shop — and it's the top choice if you want traditional Cantonese sweet soup.
Address: 128 Nigang West Village, Jinbi Road, Luohu District (near Shenzhen Middle School and Shenzhen Institute of Information Technology); about a 10-minute walk from Nigang Station on Metro Line 9.
Shanxiao Dessert Shop (山小・糖水舖) (Guomao) — Handmade Desserts in a Guomao Back Alley
Shanxiao Dessert Shop (山小・糖水舖) is tucked away in a back alley in Guomao, Luohu, specialising in traditional handmade sweet soups, with every bowl made from carefully chosen ingredients and sweetness balanced just right. Their signature Hokkaido Red Bean Soup uses Hokkaido red beans slow-simmered until velvety and sandy, then finished with black sugar refined from cane sugar and aged tangerine peel over ten years old — layer upon layer of aroma, sweet but never cloying. You can add mini tangyuan or stretchy mochi. Another signature, Ginger Milk Curd, is made by pressing concentrated ginger juice from Yunnan small yellow ginger, filtering it, then "curdling" it with 4.0-fat water buffalo milk — warm and silky with a gentle ginger kick, perfect in winter. A bowl costs around ¥10 to ¥20.
Address: No. 16 Luoxiao 1st Street, Annex Building of Xilong Mansion, 2059 Renmin South Road, Nanhu Subdistrict, Luohu District; a few minutes' walk from Guomao Station on Metro Line 1, close to Luohu Port.
Honeymoon Dessert (滿記甜品) (KK TIME Shopping Mall branch) — A Chain Hongkongers Know Well
Honeymoon Dessert (滿記甜品), which Hongkongers have grown up eating, has branches in several Shenzhen malls. There's one on B1 of KK TIME Shopping Mall in Luohu — after shopping you can sit down for a bowl of mango pomelo sago or black sesame paste. Consistent quality and easy to find, it's ideal for first-timers heading north to "test the waters".
Address: B1, KK TIME Shopping Mall, 2090 Wenjin North Road, Cuizhu Subdistrict, Luohu District; near Tianbei Station on Metro Lines 3/7.
🍧 More Options + Tips for Heading North for Sweet Soup
- In Shekou there's also Foshan Master Huang Dessert House (佛山黃師傅甜品屋) (73 Yucun Road), famous for its made-to-order Ginger Milk Curd — the master pours hot water buffalo milk into freshly pressed ginger juice right before your eyes, with a rich ginger aroma.
- Near Exit G of Xiameilin Station is Huang's Buffalo Milk Health Desserts (黃氏牛奶養生甜品), focusing on low-sugar buffalo milk desserts; the red bean double-skin milk is a crowd favourite.
- Quick port-by-port cheat sheet: Luohu Port → Shenzhou Sweet Soup Shop (深洲糖水店), Shanxiao Dessert Shop (山小・糖水舖), Honeymoon Dessert (滿記甜品) (KK TIME); Futian Port → Yuelianxuan (閱蓮軒) (Bagualing), Huang's Buffalo Milk Health Desserts (黃氏牛奶養生甜品) (Xiameilin); Shenzhen Bay Port → Baicaotang (百草堂) (Shekou), Bin Ma Sweet Soup (彬媽糖水) (Nantou Ancient Town).
- If you don't know the area, search "糖水" or "楊枝甘露" on Dianping and pick shops with high ratings and plenty of reviews — the safest bet in practice.
- Opening hours vary widely: some stay open until the small hours, others close by 9pm. Check Gaode/Dianping before you set off.
- With a group, order several to share: mango pomelo sago, double-skin milk, black sesame paste, taro balls — try them all to be satisfied.
FAQ
Crossing at Luohu Port, which dessert shop is closest?
Shanxiao Dessert Shop (山小・糖水舖) is at the Annex Building of Xilong Mansion, 2059 Renmin South Road, a few minutes' walk from Guomao Station on Metro Line 1 — you can eat right after crossing. For traditional, budget-friendly sweet soup, head to Shenzhou Sweet Soup Shop (深洲糖水店) (128 Nigang West Village), about a 10-minute walk from Nigang Station on Metro Line 9.
How much does a bowl of sweet soup cost?
Old neighbourhood shops like Shenzhou Sweet Soup Shop (深洲糖水店) charge around ¥10 a bowl; newer spots like Shanxiao Dessert Shop (山小・糖水舖) run about ¥10 to ¥20; mall chains like Honeymoon Dessert (滿記甜品) are about ¥20 to ¥35. Overall, that's over 30% cheaper than desserts in Hong Kong.
From Shenzhen Bay Port, which one is most convenient?
Baicaotang Ancestral Herbal Tea Shop (百草堂祖傳涼茶鋪) (207 Shekou New Street) is only about ten minutes' drive from Shenzhen Bay Port — the most convenient of the three ports. Afterwards you can take a stroll around Sea World in Shekou.
What time do dessert shops usually close?
It varies a lot: Baicaotang (百草堂) stays open until 2am; Shanxiao Dessert Shop (山小・糖水舖) and Shenzhou Sweet Soup Shop (深洲糖水店) generally close around 10pm; Yuelianxuan (閱蓮軒) is about 11:00-23:00; Bin Ma Sweet Soup (彬媽糖水) is about 12:00-21:00. Remember to confirm on Gaode or Dianping before heading out.
A reminder: the opening hours in this article are based on reported information and may change in practice — we suggest confirming on Dianping before you go.
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