Robotaxi in Shenzhen
Why Shenzhen Is the World’s Tech Tourism Capital
Shenzhen is not just a manufacturing hub. It is the headquarters of some of the world’s most influential technology companies: DJI (drones), Huawei (telecommunications), Tencent (social media and gaming), and BYD (electric vehicles). The city produces around 90 percent of the world’s consumer electronics, and its streets are a living showcase of technologies that are still years away from mainstream adoption elsewhere.
For expats living in Hong Kong, Shenzhen is remarkably accessible. The city is reachable in as little as 15 minutes by high-speed rail from West Kowloon Station, or a short MTR ride across the border at Futian or Lo Wu. That proximity makes it possible to experience autonomous taxis, drone food deliveries, humanoid robots, and the world’s largest electronics market in a single day trip.
This guide covers six stops across Shenzhen where visitors can interact with cutting-edge technology firsthand. Most are free or very affordable, and all are accessible by metro. Whether visiting solo, with a partner, or with children, Shenzhen tech tourism offers experiences that simply do not exist anywhere else in the Greater Bay Area.
Robot 6S Store (全球首家人工智能6S店) — The World’s First
The world’s first Robot 6S Store opened in Shenzhen in July 2025 and quickly became one of the city’s most talked-about attractions. The concept is modelled on the automotive 4S store format but adapted for robots: sales, spare parts, service, survey, software, and solutions.
The store is divided into two main experience zones. The global products area features the Loona robot dog (which responds to voice commands and has expressive facial animations), ROKID AR glasses with real-time translation, AI learning cameras designed for children aged three and above, split air mice, and air electronic drumsticks that let visitors play music without a physical drum set. The domestic innovation area includes an OpenHarmony IoT zone where smart devices connect seamlessly, and a XiaoZhi AI companion area.
Six themed application rooms demonstrate how AI and robotics are being integrated into daily life: AI Health, AI Education, AI Office, AI Fashion, AI Home, and AI DIY. Visitors can also try 3D printing and STEM robotics workshops. The store has partnered with over 26 robot companies including Unitree Robotics (known for their quadruped robot dogs) and continues to add new exhibits.
Entry is free. The store is family-friendly and particularly popular with children.
| Chinese Name | 全球首家人工智能6S店 |
| Address | 深圳市龙岗区坂田街道人工智能6S店（机器人剧场旁）Bantian Street, Longgang District, Shenzhen (next to Robot Theatre, Galaxy World CoCo Park area) 📍 Amap (高德地图) |
| Nearest Metro | Line 10 to Xia Yabao (下雅宝站), Exit B — 5 min walk |
| Hours | 10:00 – 18:00 daily |
| Price | Free entry (products available for purchase) |
| Must-Order | Loona robot dog demo, ROKID AR glasses, 3D printing workshop |
| Payment | WeChat Pay, Alipay, Cash RMB |
| Tip | Visit on a weekday to avoid crowds. Weekend afternoons can get busy with families. The STEM DIY workshops are best for children aged 6 to 14. |
DJI Flagship Store (DJI 旗舰店) — Fly a Drone
The DJI Flagship Store at OCT Harbour is the largest DJI retail experience in the world. Spanning nearly 4,000 square metres across multiple floors on the shores of Shenzhen Bay, the store is part showroom, part museum, and part playground.
Ground-floor exhibits display every current DJI product line: consumer drones, professional cinema cameras, agricultural drones, and enterprise inspection systems. Interactive screens let visitors explore aerial photography from around the world. The upper levels include a dedicated drone test flight zone where visitors can learn to pilot a DJI drone step by step, from takeoff and hovering to capturing aerial shots. VR flight simulators are available for those who want to experience flying without handling an actual drone.
The store also integrates DJI Park, an outdoor area with an observation deck, a launch tower, and a test-flight area for outdoor drone demonstrations. Regular events include drone photography workshops, product launch screenings, and seasonal flying challenges.
The store is free to enter. Drone test flights are complimentary but may require a short queue during peak hours.
| Chinese Name | DJI 旗舰店（深圳欢乐海岸） |
| Address | 深圳市南山区白石路东8号欢乐海岸 OCT Harbour, East No. 8 Baishi Road, Nanshan District, Shenzhen 📍 Amap (高德地图) |
| Nearest Metro | Line 1 to OCT (华侨城站), Exit D — 10 min walk; or Line 9 to Shenzhen Bay Park (深圳湾公园站) |
| Hours | Mon-Thu 10:00 – 22:00, Fri-Sat 10:00 – 22:30, Sun 10:00 – 22:00 |
| Price | Free entry and free drone test flights |
| Must-Order | Drone test flight, VR simulator, DJI Park observation deck |
| Payment | WeChat Pay, Alipay, UnionPay, Visa, Mastercard |
| Tip | The outdoor DJI Park area is best visited before sunset. Bring your own SD card if you want to keep footage from the drone test flight. |
Pony.ai Robotaxi (小马智行) — Ride a Driverless Car
Shenzhen became one of the first cities in the world to allow fully driverless commercial taxi operations, and Pony.ai is the leading operator. Their robotaxis are fully autonomous Level 4 vehicles: there is no safety driver, no steering wheel intervention, and no human backup in the front seat. The car drives itself through real Shenzhen traffic.
Booking a ride is straightforward. Download the PonyPilot+ app (available on iOS and Android) or use the Pony.ai WeChat mini-program. Enter your pickup and drop-off locations, confirm the fare estimate, and a robotaxi will arrive within minutes. The vehicles operate across Nanshan District, covering areas including Shekou, OCT, Qianhai, and parts of Baoan. The fare is metered and comparable to a standard Shenzhen taxi ride.
The experience is surreal. The steering wheel turns on its own. The car responds smoothly to traffic lights, pedestrians, cyclists, and lane changes. A screen mounted in the back seat shows the vehicle’s real-time perception of its surroundings, including detected objects and planned manoeuvres.
For a more detailed breakdown of how the robotaxi system works, routes, and booking tips, see the dedicated HKEC guide: Driverless Taxi in Shenzhen: A Complete Robotaxi Guide.
| Chinese Name | 小马智行自动驾驶出租车 |
| Address | No fixed location (hail via app across Nanshan District coverage area) Nanshan District, Shenzhen (Shekou, OCT, Qianhai, Baoan) |
| Nearest Metro | Any metro station in Nanshan District (Line 1, 2, 5, 9, 11, 12) |
| Hours | 07:30 – 22:00 daily |
| Price | Metered fare, approx. ¥15 – 30 per ride (comparable to regular taxi) |
| Must-Order | Download PonyPilot+ app before arriving in Shenzhen |
| Payment | In-app payment (WeChat Pay, Alipay linked to PonyPilot+) |
| Tip | Request a ride between OCT and Shekou for a scenic coastal route. The back-seat screen shows real-time AI perception, which is half the fun. |
Meituan Drone Delivery (美团无人机配送) — Order Food from the Sky
Shenzhen is the global leader in commercial drone delivery, and the easiest way to experience it is through Meituan, China’s largest food delivery platform. In designated areas, customers can order food through the Meituan app, and instead of a scooter rider, a drone carries the order to a designated pickup locker.
The process is simple. Open the Meituan app (美团外卖), search for restaurants near a drone-enabled delivery zone, and place an order as normal. If drone delivery is available, the app will show a drone icon. After the restaurant prepares the food and loads it onto the drone launchpad, the drone flies autonomously to a nearby pickup kiosk. The entire process takes roughly 10 minutes from restaurant to locker.
The primary locations for drone delivery in Shenzhen include Talent Park (人才公园) in Nanshan, Shenzhen Bay Park (深圳湾公园), and Lianhua Hill Park (莲花山公园) in Futian. Meituan expanded to nighttime drone operations in September 2025, covering parks and sports venues during evening hours.
Watching the drone descend from the sky and dock at the pickup locker is genuinely impressive, even for seasoned tech observers.
| Chinese Name | 美团无人机配送 |
| Address | Multiple parks across Shenzhen: Talent Park (人才公园), Shenzhen Bay Park, Lianhua Hill Park Best starting point: Talent Park, Nanshan District 📍 Amap (高德地图) |
| Nearest Metro | Line 2/11 to Houhai (后海站), Exit E — 10 min walk to Talent Park |
| Hours | Daytime and evening (nighttime service available since Sep 2025) |
| Price | Standard Meituan delivery fee (approx. ¥3 – 5 per order) |
| Must-Order | Any meal from a drone-enabled restaurant near Talent Park |
| Payment | Meituan app (WeChat Pay or Alipay linked) |
| Tip | Download the Meituan app before crossing the border. You will need a Chinese phone number for account registration. The drone pickup lockers are clearly marked in each park. |
Shenzhen Science and Technology Museum (深圳科技馆新馆) — The Future Under One Roof
The Shenzhen Science and Technology Museum opened in May 2025 and is one of the most ambitious science museums built anywhere in the past decade. Designed by Zaha Hadid Architects, the building spans 130,000 square metres (equivalent to roughly 11 Hong Kong Science Museums) and houses 950 interactive exhibits across five floors.
The museum is organised into four permanent exhibition halls. Floor 2, titled “Hello, World!”, features a massive “Giant Eye” immersive display. Floor 3, “Better Life”, focuses on AI and robotics and includes a robotic barista that prepares coffee for visitors. Floor 4, “Smart Industry”, lets visitors try a remote surgery simulator using the same technology deployed in real hospitals. Floor 5, “Exploring the Source of the Universe”, covers astronomy, aerospace, and deep-space exploration.
The architecture alone is worth the trip. The building resembles an interstellar spacecraft with a column-free 33-metre-high atrium that floods the interior with natural light. The exterior is clad in deep grey metal panels that shift in tone throughout the day.
Tickets must be booked in advance through the Shenzhen Science and Technology Museum WeChat mini-program. New tickets for each day are released at 20:00 three days in advance. One ticket per ID per day. Bring your original passport or HKID for entry.
| Chinese Name | 深圳科技馆（新馆） |
| Address | 深圳市光明区光辉大道8号 No. 8 Guanghui Avenue, Guangming District, Shenzhen 📍 Amap (高德地图) |
| Nearest Metro | Line 6 to Guangming (光明站), Exit C or D — direct covered walkway to museum |
| Hours | Tue-Fri 10:00 – 17:00; Sat-Sun & holidays 09:30 – 17:00; closed Monday |
| Price | ¥50 adult / ¥16 concession (student, senior, child over 1.2m) |
| Must-Order | Floor 3 robot barista, Floor 4 remote surgery simulator, Floor 5 space hall |
| Payment | WeChat Pay, Alipay (ticket booked via WeChat mini-program) |
| Tip | Book tickets exactly at 20:00 three days before your visit. Weekend slots sell out within minutes. Arrive early to start from Floor 5 and work downward to avoid the crowds that build on lower floors. |
Huaqiangbei Electronics Market (华强北) — The World’s Largest Electronics Market
No Shenzhen tech tourism itinerary is complete without Huaqiangbei (华强北), the sprawling electronics district in Futian that is widely regarded as the largest electronics market on earth. The area covers more than 20 multi-storey malls packed with thousands of vendors selling everything from individual resistors and microchips to finished drones, smartphones, VR headsets, and smart home devices.
SEG Plaza (赛格广场) is the most iconic building and the best starting point. Floors 1 and 2 focus on electronic components and circuit boards. Floors 3, 5, and 6 cover computer hardware and peripherals. Floor 4 stocks branded electronics. Floors 7 through 10 house software, networking equipment, security systems, and audio-visual gear. Even if you are not buying, walking through SEG is an education in how global electronics supply chains actually work.
Bargaining is expected and standard practice. Start at roughly half the asking price and negotiate from there. Checking multiple stalls for the same item before committing is normal. For tech enthusiasts, the market offers custom mechanical keyboards, DIY soldering kits, programmable LED panels, and components that are difficult or impossible to find outside China.
The Huaqiangbei Pedestrian Street (华强北步行街) connecting the major malls has been recently upgraded with LED displays, art installations, and food vendors.
| Chinese Name | 华强北电子市场（赛格广场） |
| Address | 深圳市福田区华强北路1002号赛格广场 No. 1002 Huaqiang North Road, Futian District, Shenzhen (SEG Plaza) 📍 Amap (高德地图) |
| Nearest Metro | Line 1/7 to Huaqiang North (华强北站), Exit A — 2 min walk |
| Hours | 09:30 – 18:30 (SEG Plaza); other malls may close later |
| Price | Free entry (pay only for purchases) |
| Must-Order | DIY mechanical keyboard parts, drone accessories, custom LED panels |
| Payment | WeChat Pay, Alipay, Cash RMB (some vendors accept UnionPay) |
| Tip | Visit in the morning when vendors are most willing to negotiate. Bring a portable charger. The sheer size of the market means you will walk more than expected. Use the Amap (高德地图) app to navigate between buildings. |
Quick Comparison
| Venue | Type | Price | Location | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Robot 6S Store | Interactive showroom | Free | Longgang (Bantian) | Families, robot fans |
| DJI Flagship Store | Retail + experience | Free | Nanshan (OCT Harbour) | Drone enthusiasts, photographers |
| Pony.ai Robotaxi | Autonomous taxi ride | ¥15 – 30/ride | Nanshan (app-based) | Anyone curious about self-driving |
| Meituan Drone Delivery | Food delivery by drone | ¥3 – 5 delivery | Multiple parks | Foodies, novelty seekers |
| Science & Tech Museum | Museum | ¥50 adult | Guangming District | Science buffs, families |
| Huaqiangbei | Electronics market | Free entry | Futian (city centre) | Tech shoppers, makers, DIY fans |
How to Get There from Hong Kong
Shenzhen is one of the easiest cross-border day trips from Hong Kong. Three main routes connect the two cities.
High-Speed Rail (fastest): Take the MTR to West Kowloon Station and board a cross-border train to Futian Station (福田站). The journey takes approximately 14 minutes and costs around HKD 78 one way. Futian Station puts you directly in the city centre, walking distance from Huaqiangbei and within easy metro reach of all six stops in this guide.
East Rail Line to Lo Wu or Lok Ma Chau: The MTR East Rail Line runs from Hung Hom to Lo Wu (罗湖) or Lok Ma Chau (落马洲/福田口岸). Both crossings connect directly to the Shenzhen Metro on the other side. Lo Wu is the busiest but fastest for reaching Huaqiangbei (Line 1 direct). Lok Ma Chau connects to Futian Checkpoint, which is less crowded on weekends.
Suggested 1-day tech crawl itinerary: Start at Futian Station. Walk to Huaqiangbei (10 minutes) for the morning electronics market session. Take Line 1 to OCT Station for the DJI Flagship Store and a Pony.ai robotaxi ride around Nanshan. Head to Talent Park (Line 2/11 to Houhai) for Meituan drone delivery lunch. If time permits, take Line 6 to Guangming for the Science and Technology Museum (allow 2 to 3 hours). The Robot 6S Store in Bantian is best paired with Guangming as both are on the northern metro lines.
Practical tips: Download WeChat Pay and Alipay before crossing the border as cash is rarely accepted. An Octopus Card works on the MTR to the border but not on the Shenzhen Metro. Buy a Shenzhen Tong card at the border station or use Alipay Transport QR codes for metro rides.
Read More
- Driverless Taxi in Shenzhen: A Complete Robotaxi Guide
- Weekend Getaways from Hong Kong
- Octopus Card and Public Transport Guide
- Essential Apps for Expats in Hong Kong
