Shenzhen
Hong Kong Day Trip from Shenzhen
Fifteen minutes on the train, then Kowloon, the Star Ferry, Central's banking district and the tram up to Victoria Peak.
From US$149/per person
View tourShenzhen
Dafen Art Village & OCT Day Tour
Watch painters work in a village that once supplied the world's hotel lobbies, then cross town to Shenzhen's contemporary art district.
The short version
Dafen was a village of 8,000 people that became the world's largest producer of hand-painted oil paintings, supplying hotel lobbies and galleries with copies and originals. It has since half-turned into an art district, and a day here means watching painters work, commissioning a canvas, and crossing town to the OCT galleries in Nanshan. About 8 hours.
- Dafen still has hundreds of working painters and studios, not just souvenir shops.
- You can commission an original canvas and have it shipped — most people do.
- OCT Loft, in Nanshan, is Shenzhen's serious contemporary art district.
- Small group, maximum 8, since studio visits need room to stand and talk.
What not to miss
09:00
Hotel pickup
Metro to Dafen in Longgang. It is 40 minutes from downtown, and the studios are quietest in the morning.
10:00
Dafen studios
Into the workshops: painters working from photographs, layered glazes drying on racks, and the larger studios doing hotel commissions.
11:30
Commission a painting
Bring a photograph you like. A painter will quote you, usually US$80–300 depending on size, and finish in two to three weeks.
12:30
Lunch in the village
A Cantonese canteen on the village lane — cheap, fast, and where the painters actually eat.
14:30
OCT Loft, Nanshan
Cross town to the converted factory estate: contemporary galleries, a design bookshop and outdoor sculpture between the old workshops.
16:30
One major exhibition, then back
Your guide picks the best show currently on in the district, and we leave time for the bookshop. Metro back across the city, at your hotel by about 18:30.
What's included and what isn't
Includes
- Licensed English-speaking guide
- Metro fares for the day
- One OCT exhibition ticket
- Lunch in Dafen village
- Introductions to working painters, with translation
- Help arranging shipping for any purchase
Not included
- The cost of any painting you commission
- Shipping and customs charges
- Dinner
- Gratuities
Pickup, timing and getting around
Pickup at 09:00 from hotels in Futian, Nanshan and Luohu. Dafen is in Longgang, about 40 minutes away by metro, so we leave on time.
If you are considering commissioning a canvas, bring a high-resolution photograph on your phone — a screen is enough for a painter to work from, and a print is not required.
Route diagrams are schematic and illustrative, not to scale.
More day tours from Shenzhen
Shenzhen
Dapeng Fortress & Coast Day Tour
A Ming garrison town 600 years older than Shenzhen, then a bay of fishing boats and a beach that most visitors never find.
From US$99/per person
View tourFrequently asked questions
Is Dafen just souvenir shops?
No, though there are plenty of those at the front. Behind them are several hundred working studios where painters take commissions and produce original work. Your guide takes you to the studios, not the stalls.
How much does a commissioned painting cost?
Usually US$80 to US$300 depending on size and complexity, negotiated directly with the painter. Shipping is extra. We translate and help you agree a completion date, but the transaction is yours.
Can we skip OCT and stay in Dafen longer?
Yes. Say so at booking and we will spend the afternoon in the studios instead. OCT is worth it if you care about contemporary art; if not, Dafen alone fills the day.
Is this suitable on a rainy day?
Mostly — the studios are covered and the OCT galleries are indoors. The walking between them is short, and we carry umbrellas.
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- China's 240-Hour Visa-Free Transit: Who Qualifies and How It Works
- Paying in China: Alipay, WeChat Pay, Cards and Cash
- China's High-Speed Rail: How to Book, What It Costs, How Fast It Goes
- Is China Safe for Tourists? Honest Risks and How to Avoid Them
- Best Time to Visit China: Month by Month, Region by Region
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