Stories
Field notes from the Shenzhen I know on foot.
I don't want this page to become another giant trail database.
There are already plenty of places to find distances, elevation numbers and route maps.
I'm more interested in the things I wish someone had told me before a hike.
How the day actually feels. How to get there if you don't speak Chinese. What the weather changes. What to carry. Where people get caught out. What's genuinely worth doing.
And sometimes, what isn't.
Latest articles
Trail NotesMaluan Mountain Shenzhen: My Favorite Easy Waterfall Hike for Beginners and Families
A first-hand local guide to Maluan Mountain in Shenzhen: waterfalls, streams, forest trails, family hiking, transport, gear and practical advice from Jacky Liu.
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Trail NotesShenzhen Sanshui Trail Hiking Guide: Conquering Shenzhen's Legendary "Graduation Hike"
A first-hand guide to Shenzhen's Sanshui Trail: the 18 km graduation hike with repeated ridge climbs, route advice, gear, transport, safety and local experience from Jacky Liu.
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Trail NotesPaiya Mountain Shenzhen Hiking Guide: The Ridge That Looks Like a Row of Teeth
A first-hand guide to Paiya Mountain in Shenzhen: a high-difficulty ridge hike with steep climbing, sea views, heat risk, navigation advice and Jacky Liu's own route experience.
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Trail NotesQiniang Mountain Shenzhen: My Fast Little Loop on Shenzhen's Second-Highest Peak
A first-hand guide to Qiniang Mountain in Shenzhen: the Big Banyan Tree loop, rough ascent, 869.7 m summit, geopark descent, safety advice and local hiking experience.
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Trail NotesWutong Mountain Shenzhen: The Famous Peak I Prefer to Hike the Quiet Way
A local guide to Wutong Mountain in Shenzhen: family-friendly route ideas, crowd advice, forest trails, summit experience and Jacky Liu's personal hiking stories.
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Trail NotesDongchong to Xichong Coastal Hike: Shenzhen's Best Trail for Dirty Pants and Sea Views
A first-hand guide to the Dongchong-Xichong coastal hike in Shenzhen: sea views, chains, ropes, family hiking, heat risk, crowds, navigation and practical local advice.
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What I'll write about
Trail Notes
Wutong Mountain, Dongxichong, Qiniang Mountain and other routes explained from a visitor's point of view.
Shenzhen Beyond the Skyline
Coastlines, mountains, local food after a hike, and what to do when you have half a day between work commitments.
Things I Notice While Walking
Thoughts about work, travel, technology, China, time, people and the things that become easier to notice when you're away from a screen.
A few stories I want to tell first
- Best hikes in Shenzhen if you're visiting for the first time
- Wutong Mountain without the guesswork
- What Dongxichong actually feels like
- How hard is the Sanshui Line, really?
- What to do with one free weekend in Shenzhen
- Why hiking changed the way I see the city I live in
- Why some conversations are easier when nobody is sitting across a table
- One thing I noticed after driving around Europe for a month
My rule for this page
If I haven't done it myself, I won't pretend I have.
If something is difficult, inconvenient or not worth the hype, I'll say that too.