Dapeng Peninsula: Shenzhen's Cleanest Sea and Finest Coast

If all you ever see of Shenzhen are its office towers and shopping malls, it is hard to imagine that just outside the city sits a stretch of wild, untouched coast and mountains. The Dapeng Peninsula juts out from Shenzhen’s southeast, surrounded on three sides by water so clear it hardly looks real, with a coastline almost entirely free of commercial development. One section, the Dongchong–Xichong coast, has even been named one of China’s eight most beautiful coastlines by Chinese National Geography.

This post collects five places on the peninsula that I have visited again and again — from a serious hiking traverse to easy seaside spots perfect for older relatives, couples, and friends. Roughly in order of how demanding they are: Dalugang, the Dongchong–Xichong traverse, Dayanding Peak, and then the near-effortless Luzui Villa and Shenzhen Observatory. Here they are, one by one.

Dongchong–Xichong Coastal Traverse

Overview

• Location: Dapeng Peninsula, Shenzhen (starting from Dongchong)
• Duration: A full day (round trip from downtown Shenzhen)
• Getting there: Bus, taxi, or self-drive all work
• Budget: Around 100 RMB per person (transport + food)
• Effort: 4 stars
• Best for: People with some athletic base
• Season & weather: Heatstroke is a real risk in summer — best from October to April
• Highlights: Stunning coast and mountains, a real sense of accomplishment, listening to live electric guitar on a clifftop, and a close-up look at the Shenzhen Observatory

A stunning coastline. The Dongchong–Xichong route really earns its “most beautiful coastline” reputation. The half-mountain, half-sea scenery is genuinely mesmerizing. Before coming, I had no idea Shenzhen still held coast this wild — the entire trail is almost free of commercial development, and the water is crystal clear. The photos below are straight off an iPhone 12 mini with no editing; in person it looks far better than any photo, and it is absolutely worth experiencing firsthand.

A real sense of accomplishment. This is not a standard tourist route but a raw coastal traverse. It is rated beginner-level, yet for anyone without hiking experience it is still a real challenge. Beyond the physical demand of a long hike (around five hours), the trail itself is rough — you scramble up and down large reef boulders along the shore and rappel down cliffs gripping ropes and chains. For a hiking novice, completing the whole route feels genuinely rewarding.

Live electric guitar on the cliff edge. Beyond the views and the supply stops along the way, what moved me most was a musician playing on the cliff edge. Just as I was running out of steam, the sea breeze carried over an electric-guitar rendition of Boundless Oceans, Vast Skies — the kind of feeling you can probably only understand if you are standing right there. It was the biggest surprise of the whole route, and I lingered a long time before I was willing to move on. This was during the pandemic, when the speedboats could not go out, so the musician had floated all his gear over the water on a single board. Honestly a little romantic.

A close-up look at the Shenzhen Observatory. Near the Xichong end of the route you reach the start of the Shenzhen Observatory boardwalk, which leads straight up to the observatory. The views from this boardwalk are superb — the whole expanse of sea opens up before you. Whether you face the open ocean, the slope toward the observatory, or the half-mountain, half-sea on either side, there is no bad angle. I could not stop thinking about it after my first visit and have been back many times.

If you are into astronomy, you can also get close to the telescope. After reading The Three-Body Problem, it gives off a bit of a “Red Coast Base” vibe.

Two things I have not yet experienced myself but worth noting: the area near the Xichong observatory is a dark-sky reserve with no light pollution, and the night sky is said to be beautiful; at night there are fireflies nearby, and if you are lucky you can even catch the “blue tears” bioluminescence at Xichong.

Tips

What to prepare beforehand:

1. Bring your own lunch — something like steamed meat buns or rice balls; snacks like Snickers won’t really fill you up
2. A pair of hiking shoes (Decathlon’s 399 RMB pair is plenty) — good grip greatly reduces your chance of injury
3. A pair of gloves makes gripping the ropes much more comfortable
4. Enough water; there are supply stops along the way, so no need to carry too much

Itinerary:

1. Experienced hikers: search “东西涌穿越” (Dongchong–Xichong traverse) on the Foooooot (两步路) app and head to the Dongchong trailhead (navigate to “东涌社区工作站” / Dongchong Community Workstation)
2. Beginners: don’t go alone your first time — book a guide instead (search “东西涌穿越一日游” / Dongchong–Xichong day tour on Meituan or Ctrip) and just follow their lead

Dayanding Peak

Overview

• Location: Dapeng Peninsula, Shenzhen
• Duration: About 4 hours of hiking; a full day for the round trip from downtown Shenzhen
• Getting there: Bus to Yangmeikeng, then a shuttle / speedboat / walk along the coastal Luzui Avenue to the trailhead
• Budget: Around 100 RMB per person (transport + boat ticket + snacks)
• Effort: 3 stars
• Best for: People with some athletic base
• Season & weather: A cool season (heatstroke is easy in summer), and a clear sky for the best views
• Highlights: The finest half-mountain, half-sea viewpoint; the challenge of Dapeng’s second-highest peak

The finest half-mountain, half-sea viewpoint. The best view at Dayanding is from Viewpoint No. 3 — very open, with mountains and sea laid out together, and great for photos. I’m only posting scenery shots here; for the prettier portrait photos, search “大雁顶三号观景台” (Dayanding Viewpoint No. 3) on Xiaohongshu.

Conquering Dapeng’s second-highest peak. From a hiking standpoint, Dayanding stands at 800 m, second on the peninsula only to Qiniang Mountain. The round trip on foot from Yangmeikeng involves about 1,500 m of total climb — a genuine test of stamina, and well worth a go if you enjoy a workout.

Tips

1. Take a bus first to “Yangmeikeng” (杨梅坑)
2. From Yangmeikeng to the trailhead, there are three options:
   • Speedboat: ticket sellers are everywhere along the road; buy a ticket, board at the designated dock, and once off the boat navigate to “鹿雁科考线” (Luyan research trail) and walk in
   • Sightseeing shuttle: walk toward the greenway (only one road, easy to find); there’s a shuttle ticket booth at the greenway entrance — buy a ticket, board, and tell the driver to drop you at the Dayanding entrance. If you miss the stop, navigate to “鹿雁科考线” and walk; it’s not far
   • On foot (not really recommended): navigate straight to “鹿雁科考线” and walk in — about 5 km and an hour. Since Dayanding itself is tiring, you don’t want to burn too much energy on this stretch
3. From the trailhead, just keep going up — there’s only one path, so you won’t get lost. If your legs give out, you don’t have to summit; Viewpoint No. 3 already has the best view, and going higher isn’t really worth it
4. After the climb, return the way you came

Dalugang

Overview

• Location: Dapeng Peninsula, Shenzhen
• Duration: About 9 hours of hiking; a full day for the round trip from downtown Shenzhen
• Getting there: Bus to Nan’ao Center, then a chartered ride to the trailhead
• Budget: Around 100 RMB per person (transport + food)
• Effort: 5 stars
• Best for: People with a hiking background
• Season & weather: Cool (to avoid heatstroke) and clear weather (rain makes it dangerous)
• Highlights: Stunning coast and mountains, a personal challenge, sunset from the summit

Stunning coast and mountains. Dalugang’s scenery is broadly similar to the Dongchong–Xichong traverse — the same half-mountain, half-sea beauty — but there are fewer people here and the water is even cleaner. Partway through you pass the Dalugang lighthouse, which makes for great photos. The shots below were taken by a hiking companion with a DSLR.

A personal challenge. As a hike, the route we took runs Youganwan → Dalugang → Touya → Xichong, combining coastline, stream-scrambling, and a ridgeline — fairly difficult overall. (Some people do it in reverse from Xigong Village, which has far less climbing and skips the stream section, making it much easier.) The GPS track is below: only about 500 m of total climb, but well over half is scrambling up a stream — very tough going.

The coastal section means clambering over all sorts of boulders, some quite high — not kind to anyone afraid of heights. The stream-scramble is even harder than the coast: moss-covered rocks and water-filled hollows, very slippery. I got through the final ridgeline and descent on sheer willpower, barely reaching the foot of the mountain by nightfall. It was probably the most grueling hike I’ve ever done.

Sunset from the summit. By the time I reached the top, I had no energy left to take in the sunset, but a companion captured some beautiful shots up there to share.

Tips

What to prepare beforehand:

1. Bring your own lunch — steamed meat buns or rice balls work well; snacks like Snickers won’t really fill you up
2. A pair of hiking shoes (Decathlon’s 399 RMB pair is plenty) — good grip greatly reduces your chance of injury
3. A pair of gloves makes gripping the ropes much more comfortable
4. Enough water — there are almost no supply stops along the way

Itinerary:

1. Experienced hikers: search “大鹿港” (Dalugang) on the Foooooot (两步路) app and pick a route you like
2. Beginners: not recommended to go on your own

Luzui Villa · The Mermaid Cave from The Mermaid

Overview

• Location: Dapeng Peninsula, Shenzhen
• Duration: About 2 hours of sightseeing; a full day for the round trip from downtown Shenzhen
• Getting there: Bus to Yangmeikeng, then a shuttle / speedboat / walk to Luzui Villa
• Budget: Around 100 RMB per person (transport + boat ticket + snacks)
• Effort: 1 star
• Best for: Outings with older relatives, couples, or friends (great for photos)
• Season & weather: A clear sky for the best views
• Highlights: A seaside cliff facing the ocean, the mermaid cave from The Mermaid, the coastal greenway, a speedboat ride, and sea-view guesthouses

A seaside cliff facing the ocean. Standing on the cliff at Luzui Villa, you look out over an endless expanse of sea — a wonderfully open view. Listening to the waves break against the rocks while gazing at the far horizon, the whole body just relaxes.

The mermaid cave from The Mermaid. This is the filming location of the mermaid cave in Stephen Chow’s film The Mermaid, and it has since become a popular check-in spot. If you’ve never been, it’s worth a look — it really is beautiful.

The coastal greenway. On the way from Yangmeikeng to Luzui Villa you pass a seaside greenway, finished only late the previous year and currently open to sightseeing shuttles and walkers only. If you have the time and energy, it’s worth strolling (about 5 km, roughly an hour) with the sea by your side the whole way.

Speedboat ride. If you’d rather not walk, you can take a speedboat. Personally I think the ride is well worth experiencing — it’s a bit of a thrill, and the views along the way are great.

Sea-view guesthouses. If you want to linger here, consider staying a night at a guesthouse in Yangmeikeng (the one pictured was around 500+ RMB on a Friday night). It’s far more relaxed, parking is easy, and you can get up early to explore more of the peninsula. I once spent two stays coding by the sea from a guesthouse window — a pretty surreal experience.

Tips

1. Take a bus first to “Yangmeikeng” (杨梅坑)
2. From Yangmeikeng to Luzui Villa, there are three options:
   • Speedboat: ticket sellers are everywhere along the road; buy a ticket, board at the designated dock, and once off the boat just walk up to reach it
   • Sightseeing shuttle: walk toward the greenway (only one road, easy to find); buy a ticket at the booth by the greenway entrance, board, and walk up a short way after getting off
   • On foot: navigate straight to “鹿嘴山庄” (Luzui Villa) and walk — about 5 km and an hour

Shenzhen Observatory Boardwalk

Overview

• Location: Dapeng Peninsula, Shenzhen (Xichong)
• Duration: About 2 hours of sightseeing; a full day for the round trip from downtown Shenzhen
• Getting there: Bus or drive to Xichong Beach No. 4, then a shuttle / walk up to the observatory
• Budget: Around 100 RMB per person (transport + boat ticket + snacks)
• Effort: 1 star
• Best for: Outings with a partner or friends (great for photos)
• Season & weather: A clear sky for the best views
• Highlights: A close-up of the telescope, boundless ocean and sky from the boardwalk

A close-up of the telescope. The place I used to see astronomical telescopes most was in elementary-school readers, and that little dome left a deep impression — I never expected to get a close look at one in person (you can also book a tour inside the observatory via its official WeChat account). After reading The Three-Body Problem, it once again gives off that “Red Coast Base” feeling.

Boundless ocean and sky from the boardwalk. The views from this boardwalk are superb — the whole expanse of sea takes it all in. Whether you face the open ocean, the slope toward the observatory, or the half-mountain, half-sea on either side, there is no bad angle. One visit and I couldn’t stop thinking about it; I’ve been back many times since.

Tips

1. By bus or car, navigate to “Xichong Beach No. 4” (西涌四号沙滩) — you can drive all the way in, there’s a large parking lot
2. From the foot of the hill to the observatory, there are two options:
   • Sightseeing shuttle: there’s a shuttle and ticket sellers right at the trailhead; tickets are 10 RMB
   • On foot (recommended): just follow the paved road up — about half an hour to the top
3. At the summit observatory, head toward the boardwalk and descend along it
4. At the foot of the boardwalk, there are two ways back to the start:
   • Speedboat (50 RMB per person): for a look at the views from the water
   • Walk the coast (recommended): this coastal stretch is relatively easy, about half an hour back to the start