OCT / Overseas Chinese Town

OCT (Overseas Chinese Town) is a creative and cultural enclave that stands apart from Shenzhen's commercial districts. Originally developed by a state enterprise as a theme park zone, it has evolved into a hub for galleries, design studios, and creative businesses. The OCT Loft arts complex is the heartbeat of Shenzhen's contemporary art scene.

Happy Valley and Window of the World theme parks are located within OCT, offering large-scale entertainment. The OCT Wetland Park is a restored urban wetland providing walking trails, birdwatching, and a green refuge from the urban density.

OCT is served by Metro Line 1 (Huaqiaocheng and OCT stations), connecting it to downtown Shenzhen and the high-speed rail hub at Shenzhen North in around 30 minutes. The internal OCT roads are calm and walkable compared to most of Shenzhen.

OCT has a curated selection of restaurants, cafes, and boutique retail around the Loft complex, alongside standard Chinese supermarkets and wet markets for everyday needs. Weekend art fairs and design markets animate the public spaces.

Shenzhen has a subtropical monsoon climate. Summers (June-September) are hot and very humid, with temperatures of 32-36 C and heavy monsoon rainfall. Typhoons can bring intense storms from July through September.