Travel: China - Shenzhen, Guangdong

[verykiasu2010]

beehive:

Hi,

We were there in Dec 2008 on our own with our kids, 11, 8 and 4 yrs old. Our 2nd stop after Macau Venetian, enroute to HK Disneyland.

My kids enjoyed Happy Valley, Splendid China and Window of the world in SZ. The hotel we stayed was 5 mins walk to Window of the world and u can take the monorail to Splendid China. If your focus is on kids fun and not shopping (messy and can easily get lost), SZ is ok with the theme park.

PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE hold on to your kids while there.......it is NOT Singapore......kids to get \"lost\" easily....so, short of telling you to hold on with an leash and an implanted chip .....

[fohope]

mckenzy:

i've heard that ShenZhen not safe for kids... go there with 2... come back with 1

you really scare me. I thought of bring there to shop and go to happy valley.

Have u been there?

[verykiasu2010]

KELLY2009:

mckenzy:

i've heard that ShenZhen not safe for kids... go there with 2... come back with 1

you really scare me. I thought of bring there to shop and go to happy valley.

Have u been there?

A cousin's colleague lost two kids there last year

Still not found

Also, a few years back, a Singaporean housewife (husband posted there) with the kid at a super market - just turn the corner at the end of the aisle in a super market : the kid just vanished.......they stayed in the same condo upstairs with our senior staff

Can bring kids - but hor, hold on for dear life if you are in public area. NEVER NEVER let them wander out of sight - even within a few meters

Don't know whether they use any gas / drug or not, they just able to get the kids off without any sound

[autumnbronze]

verykiasu2010:

A cousin's colleague lost two kids there last year

Still not found

Also, a few years back, a Singaporean housewife (husband posted there) with the kid at a super market - just turn the corner at the end of the aisle in a super market : the kid just vanished.......they stayed in the same condo upstairs with our senior staff

My GOD, serious!! :shock: :shock:

I am NOT bringing DS if I am accompanying DH for work purpose ...

[schweppes]

When u hear stories like this, it’s really worthwhile putting one’s child on the kid’s leash. I don’t care what others think of me. Better be safe than sorry.

[verykiasu2010]

Kidnapped and robbed


A reader shares his traumatic experience in China and warns potential visitors

Letter from Ho Kwok Hoong 05:55 AM Nov 03, 2010

ON OCT 12, I was heading to Shenzhen Airport when I decided to stop at Dongguan for some last-minute shopping.

While there, I was assaulted, robbed and held captive for four hours. I am writing this letter to share my experience with fellow Singaporeans travelling to China.

An elderly woman approached me along a busy street in Changping district to peddle some electronic items. She told me more of her products were kept elsewhere and lured me into a nearby vacant house where a group of men jumped on me and tied me up.

The muggers told me they had also kidnapped another person, a Malaysian, who was in the room adjacent to where I was being held. They were not interested in the few hundred renminbi I had on me but went for my ATM card and demanded my PIN number. I refused and, for the next two hours, they rained more than 30 punches on my head and body.

I came to realise later that it was pointless to resist them as it was not worth risking my life over a $3,000 withdrawal. They released me, and the other victim, two hours later.

Before my release, one of the kidnappers told me their targets were Hong Kongers, Singaporeans and Malaysians. These were the people they believed to be richer and they identified them by the way these nationalities wear a pouch bag.

It dawned on me that it had been a stupid move to have followed the woman into an unknown place.

I made a police report at the Changping police station but was not even given a carbon copy of my report.

Upon safely arriving back in Singapore, I obtained the assistance of the staff at the United Overseas Bank who gave me information on the location of the ATM in China and the time the robbers withdrew money from my account. I was hoping that the ATM surveillance camera had captured the faces of the robbers but to no avail.

For the next 10 days, I tried calling the Chinese investigating officer (IO) in charge of my case but was unsuccessful. Subsequently, as a last resort, I sought the help of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs here.

When I finally got through to the Chinese IO recently, he told me that such investigations take time and that I have to be patient even though I had provided him with the ATM withdrawal details.

I am still recovering from the injuries I sustained from the punches to my head and body. I urge Singaporeans to take extra care when travelling to China and to stay alert when out in the streets.

http://www.todayonline.com/Voices/EDC101103-0000058/Kidnapped-and-robbed

[tankee]

I had never thought about going Shenzhen, but after reading several posts about how to get there via Hong Kong over at the Hong Kong thread, made me dig out this thread.


Is Shenzhen safe for kids? both in physical security and in hygiene?

Are Happy Valley, Splendid China and Window of the world really that great?

:?

[titank]

Wow seem like quite dangerous to brings kids to Shengzhen, maybe alone as adult is still possible to go.

[MandyMummy]

It’s true. When kids get lost in China, they are usually gone…

I remembered when I brought my ds to ShenZhen, the adults were super stressed from keeping a close eye on him. Brought him to the big bookstore only to end up looking at him more than browsing through the books.
And also, there were a lot of pickpockets there at LuoHu. Take care of your belongings especially your passports.
From my experience and I may be wrong, it’s not worth taking the risk especially with young children, because there weren’t much to see there and you ended up having a stressful holiday.

[verykiasu2010]

tankee:

I had never thought about going Shenzhen, but after reading several posts about how to get there via Hong Kong over at the Hong Kong thread, made me dig out this thread.


Is Shenzhen safe for kids? both in physical security and in hygiene?

Are Happy Valley, Splendid China and Window of the world really that great?

:?

those places are over-rated and over used / visited

IMHO, not worth the hassle, unless say go to 180-holes golf resort .... , yes, 10 courses with a few hotels within the resort