"The Pearl River Mediterranean?" a Shekou Travel Page by mke1963

Shekou is the far western end of the Shenzhen city area, a sprawl of hgh-rises and fast-moving highways that sits opposite Hong Kong.
Both Shenzhen and Shekou receive derisory reviews in the English-language guide-books, and this seems a bit unfair.
Both cities are much better than those reviews would suggest, and I was impressed.
Shekou faces Hong Kong across the bay, and is backed by green, forested hills. The central area has been landscaped, with plazas and squares in a Mediterranean style - a curious style for a port on the South China Sea. The effect is charming though, and the pavement cafe style attracts people all day long. Sadly, it also attracts large numbers of beggars, prostitutes and street-hawkers.The latter are irritatingly persistent and will even come into restaurants to pester you.
The streets and pavements of Shekou are clean, well built and - well - usable! Usable pavements are a bit of a luxury in China, so the ability to walk along pavements was a real novelty.
In the morning, these same pavements were being hosed down, and a huge army of gardeners were tending the plants and trees everywhere: it really is a very green city!