About
Hi, I'm Xiangan.
I grew up in Shenzhen. Most of what you'll read on the internet about this city was written by people passing through. This guide is what I'd tell a friend who asked me how to actually get around here.
I was born in Hunan and moved to Shenzhen as a kid, back when the city still felt half-finished. I watched it become what it is now: the metro lines opening one by one, Huaqiangbei going from gritty parts market to a tourist stop, Futian filling up with glass towers.
I studied business English at university, spent a semester at Kent State in Ohio, served in the military, and finished a master's degree in Hong Kong focused on AI. Now I'm back in Shenzhen, working on AI products and writing this guide on the side.
A few years ago I weighed 100kg (220 lbs). I stabilized around 86kg through a slow, unglamorous process of weightlifting, running, and learning to cook. That period taught me more about systems and discipline than any class did, and it's where most of how I work on things now comes from.
I cycle around Shenzhen, run on the coastal paths, lift at neighborhood gyms, and occasionally do Spartan races. If you see someone covered in mud at a Shenzhen obstacle race, it might be me.
Why this guide exists
When I talk to friends visiting from overseas, the same questions come up: which border crossing is fastest, can I use my credit card, how does DiDi work, is the metro hard to figure out. The answers exist online but they're scattered, often outdated, and written by people who visited for three days.
I figured it would be more useful to write down what I actually know: current, specific, and from someone who lives here. That's what this site is.
I write every article myself. If a recommendation links to an affiliate (eSIMs, hotels), it's flagged in the footer of every page. I only recommend things I'd tell a friend to use. If something I've written is outdated or wrong, I want to know. There's a contact form on every page and I read every message.