Shenzhen Xichong: Embracing the mountain and sea scenery, welcoming starlight into the heart

Xichong, Shenzhen: gentle waves, rolling sounds of the surf, and a winding sandy beach that looks like a golden ribbon tied between the mountains and the sea.

“Absolutely beautiful!” High女士, a visitor from Tianjin, repeatedly marveled: “Both the beach and the seawater are very clean. At different beaches, you can experience a variety of projects like stargazing camping, capsule hotel stays, and surfing. There’s also a ‘Starfire Rest Stop’ inside the scenic area offering convenient services.”

Located at the southernmost end of Shenzhen’s Dapeng Peninsula, Xichong not only boasts 5 kilometers of original, natural beachfront sand, but also features a rocky landscape formed by volcanic eruptions from hundreds of millions of years ago. It is Shenzhen’s only comprehensive tourism destination that integrates mountain-and-sea ecology, dark-night starry skies, and seaside sports—making its natural tourism resources truly exceptional.

Xichong, Shenzhen, features an original natural beachfront sand, with abundant natural tourism resources. Photo provided by Shenzhen Astronomical Observatory

However, what’s little known is that this place has undergone a “rejuvenation”-like “reshaping.”

Xichong welcomes its beach “mastermind”

“More than a decade ago, when Xichong’s tourism industry was just getting started, local villagers made a living by setting up stalls at the seaside to welcome visitors.” He Honghua, deputy general manager of the Shenzhen Nanao Xichong Shareholding Cooperative Company, is a native of Xichong. Looking back on how things were back then, he admitted that the changes today are a world apart.

The turning point came in the autumn of 2018. Typhoon No. 22 “Mangkhut” swept across Xichong, and many basic infrastructures were carried out to sea, severely damaging the beach and windbreak forests. How to reactivate this seaside stretch became a problem facing the people of Xichong.

“We realized that the development path we used to follow won’t work anymore, and Xichong’s reshaping needs a ‘professional manager.’” He Honghua told reporters that after several rounds of investigation, they chose Poly Property, a subsidiary of Poly Development, which has extensive experience in urban public services and services for cultural and tourism scenic areas. “Poly’s ‘whole-area scenic city’ model aligns very well with our demands to improve the whole-area beachfront living environment, optimize the business environment for cultural and tourism enterprises, and achieve whole-scenario operations for cultural and tourism. At the same time, its mature property management and service experience, along with coordinated support from resources such as culture and sports within the group, can effectively enhance governance and operational capabilities for the beachfront tourism area,” He Honghua said.

Tourists hiking along a boardwalk near the Xichong coastline in Shenzhen. Photo by Qiu Huo

To reshape Xichong, the top priority is to restore and improve basic infrastructure. “Coastal governance and beach cleaning are different from ordinary scenic areas. The infrastructure must be tailored to the characteristics of a seaside scenic area.” Liu Yinxing, operations manager of the Xichong International Beach Tourism Area, Poly Property City Service Greater Bay Area Company, introduced that, based on the features of seaside scenic areas, Poly carried out a comprehensive upgrade of five key infrastructure categories for Xichong: transportation, safety, signage, services, and smart operations. On the one hand, it invested in multiple types of mechanized coastal sanitation equipment such as beach cleaning machines, refuse collection trucks, and high-pressure cleaning machines to recreate Xichong’s original natural beauty. On the other hand, it redesigned the locations of rest facilities and where scenic area directional signs are placed, and built convenient service points for “Starfire Rest Stop” to provide services for tourists such as travel consultation and emergency rescue.

Poly Property staff members driving a beach vehicle to patrol on the Xichong beach. Photo by Qiu Huo

Today, Xichong has clear blue seas and skies, with a continuous expanse of sand. A 12-kilometer seaside cycling path connects major attractions such as four beaches in the scenic area, a group of rock formations, and internet-famous photo spots—giving the whole look an entirely new makeover.

Whole-area operations turn “passersby” into “regulars”

Completing the scenic area is just the first step. How to truly unlock the vitality of this sea, and move from “space services” to “whole-area operations,” is an even bigger test of the wisdom of Xichong’s “mastermind.”

Strolling along Xichong’s coastline, you’ll find four beaches—each one different in character and highlights. “Beach 1 is open and well-leveled, with lawns, making it a trend-spot playground for large events like camping, music festivals, and beach parties. Beach 2 has a uniquely excellent dark-sky environment; relying on Shenzhen Astronomical Observatory’s ongoing observation activities, it’s equipped with capsule units where you can lie in bed and watch the stars. Beach 3 is conveniently located and serves as a paradise for families and a gathering place for team-building. Beach 4, praised as a ‘surfing paradise’ more than a decade ago, is where we continue this format by bringing in a surfing club and building a high-quality ‘surfing destination’ in China,” Liu Yinxing explained. “In the early days after Poly moved in, she and her colleagues reviewed a large amount of natural and historical-cultural materials about Xichong, and repeatedly sought advice from local villagers and officials—so they could tailor different industry-development plans specifically for Xichong’s beaches.”

Tourists experience surfing in the waters near Xichong Beach No. 4 in Shenzhen. Photo by Zhou Yiku

“Developing cultural tourism isn’t just about creating something new for its own sake or blindly catering to trends. It’s about using a ‘service + operations’ combo—such as introducing industries, linking with municipal efforts, using competitions to spark attention, building IPs, and more—so that Xichong can upgrade from a single seaside scenic spot into a comprehensive cultural tourism destination.” Liu Yinxing said.

From a single traditional tourism model to deep integration between cultural tourism and tourism, Xichong’s reshaping isn’t only an upgrade of hardware facilities and the stacking of tourism scenarios—it’s also an innovation in management philosophy, a transformative shift in mindset.

Group photo of cycling enthusiasts taking part in a cycling event in Xichong, Shenzhen. Photo by Zhou Yiku

Following the winding path along Xichong’s coastline, the Wangyu Ridge Mountain Road climbs upward. A sea-view restaurant stands quietly on the mountaintop, and the entire Xichong Bay lies open before you. Here, many stylish young people gather—some come in pairs or small groups, snapping photos and checking in; some lean toward the mountains and look out at the sea, chatting freely with friends about life; and some quietly enjoy a cup of coffee, letting their minds drift between the mountains and the sea.

Tourists relax at Wangyu Ridge in Xichong, Shenzhen. Photo by Chen Bin

“We saw this cliffside café on social media, and we immediately planned a ‘special forces-style’ trip—one you can say take off for and go.” Ms. Guo, a tourist from Guangzhou, and her friend snapped photos while checking in, then “recommended” it to more people on social media: “This is the mountain-and-sea scene of my dreams,” “Let’s set a date with sunshine and the sea at Xichong” ……

“Now, young tourists don’t just focus on the experience—they also care whether a scenic area can provide them with emotional value. A cup of coffee not only needs to taste good, but also needs to work with the scenery to create photogenic shots and be worth sharing on social platforms. A scenic spot doesn’t only need to have beautiful views—it also needs art installations and an atmosphere that can move young people. During last year’s ‘May Day’ holiday, we hosted a beach glow party, attracting more than 40k visitors. Our operating revenue doubled compared with previous years.” Liu Yinxing said. “By deeply integrating over three decades of service experience into cultural tourism scenarios, Poly has achieved an upgraded transformation from ‘property management’ to ‘scenic-area operations.’ With a whole-area operations mindset to coordinate scenario building, and professional service to optimize the tourist experience, we continuously enhance tourists’ sense of belonging—so that ‘passersby’ truly become ‘regulars.’”

Young tourists flock to check in at Wangyu Ridge in Xichong, Shenzhen. Photo by Qiu Huo

As night falls, a fire-brazier show and a drone performance take place on Xichong Beach No. 1, drawing many tourists and nearby residents to watch. Splashing sparks and a drone starfield twinkle like points of starlight. Under the night sky, scattered across the heavens, this sea where you can look up at the stars will continue to write new stories of deep integration between cultural tourism and the seaside.