Dapeng Ancient City (大鹏所城)

Dapeng Ancient City (大鹏所城) is a remarkably well-preserved Ming Dynasty coastal fortress built in 1394 to defend the South China Sea coast from Japanese pirates (倭寇), making it older than Shenzhen itself by nearly 600 years. The walled garrison city still contains the ancestral homes of the Lai and Liu military families (将军第), original cobblestone streets, a temple to the Goddess of the Sea (天后宫), and a small but excellent museum on coastal military history. Entry is CNY 20 (approx. HKD 22). TripAdvisor: 4.5/5. Mafengwo users rate it 4.6/5 and call it "the single most historically significant site in all of Shenzhen." A 90-minute taxi ride from Futian; combine with Xiaomeisha beach on the same day.