1Highlights
Ping An Finance Centre is the tallest building in Shenzhen at 599 metres and the most recognisable spike on the Futian skyline. The visitor part is the Free Sky observation deck on level 116, which sits at roughly 541 metres — the two numbers get quoted interchangeably, and they are not the same thing. The important correction is this: the deck is ticketed, recently about ¥180 online and ¥200 at the door. A surprising number of English guides describe Shenzhen's skyline view as free; they are thinking of Lianhuashan Park, which is a different place a fifteen-minute walk north. The honest way to use both is to treat this as the view *from* the tower and Lianhuashan as the view *of* it.
- Building height
- 599m
- Observation deck
- Level 116, about 541m
- Adult ticket
- About ¥180 online / ¥200 door
- Opening hours
- From 10:00, closing 21:00–22:00
- Allow
- About 1–1.5 hours
- Not free
- The free view is Lianhuashan
2Tickets
The deck is the only paid attraction among the five Shenzhen pages on this site. Recent listings put the adult ticket at about ¥180 online and ¥200 on the door, with reduced student, senior and child tiers; a child under about 1.2 metres is generally admitted free. Bring photo ID — admission in China is normally name-verified. Opening is usually from 10:00, with closing published variously as 21:00 or 22:00 and last entry roughly 45 minutes before; the official listing on the day governs. All of these are the kind of numbers that move, so treat the table below as a budgeting guide rather than a quotation.
| Adult, booked online | About ¥180 | Normally cheaper than the counter and lets you pick a time slot in advance. |
|---|---|---|
| Adult, at the door | About ¥200 | Available but priced higher; on clear weekends there can be a wait. |
| Student | Around ¥150 | Full-time students with a valid student card; some channels ask for an ISIC card instead. |
| Senior (65+) and child (1.2–1.5m) | Roughly ¥100–120 | Tiers and thresholds differ slightly between sales channels; check before paying. |
The 'free observation deck' is a different place：Guides that promise a free Shenzhen skyline view are describing Lianhuashan Park, which genuinely costs nothing. The level-116 deck here has always been ticketed. Budget for one or walk up the other — but do not arrive expecting this tower to be free.
Visibility decides whether it is worth it：On a hazy or rainy day there is very little to see from 541 metres, and the ticket is hard to justify. Check the forecast the morning of, and keep Lianhuashan as the fallback — it reads well even in flat light.
Klook
Booking the deck, and the Hong Kong SAR day trips people pair it with
The Free Sky deck is sold through the official mini-programme and through third-party platforms. Klook is one of the platforms with an English checkout, which matters here because the official channel is Chinese-language and tied to domestic payment apps. The same account is also where most visitors book Window of the World, Happy Valley and cross-boundary day trips to the Hong Kong SAR. Before paying, check which deck level the price covers, whether a time slot is included, the ID requirement and the cancellation terms.
- English checkout — the official mini-programme is Chinese-language only
- Confirm whether a timed slot is included in the price
- Cross-boundary day trips to the Hong Kong SAR need a separate SAR entry permit or visa
- Read the weather-cancellation terms — visibility is the point of this ticket
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3Getting There
The tower is in the middle of Futian CBD and sits on the same north–south civic axis as the Civic Centre and Lianhuashan, which is what makes the pairing below so easy.
Exit D connects through the underground concourse, so you reach the lobby without going outside — useful in summer rain.
A short walk above ground. Line 11 is also the airport line, so this works straight off a flight.
From anywhere in Futian CBD this is a short hop; traffic on Yitian Road is slow at weekday rush hour.
Walk the axis north afterwards：From the tower it is a flat walk past the Civic Centre to the foot of Lianhuashan, then about twenty minutes up. Deck by day, free skyline at dusk — one route, two viewpoints.
Your ears will pop：The lift climbs to level 116 in under a minute. Swallow or chew on the way up if you are sensitive to pressure changes.
4Route & Photos
An hour inside is plenty. The planning decision is not how long to stay but which day to come and what to do afterwards.
Recommended Route
- 1
Book a slot on a clear day
Visibility is the whole product here. A booked time slot on a clear afternoon beats a spontaneous visit in haze.
- 2
Level 116 — orient yourself first
Pick out the Shenzhen River and, on a genuinely clear day, the hills of the Hong Kong SAR beyond it. The glass-floor section is easier if you look at the horizon before you look down.
- 3
Down into the mall
The podium mall is a reasonable lunch or coffee stop and gets you out of the heat.
- 4
Walk north to Lianhuashan for dusk
Arrive at the summit before the light goes. This is the free half of the pairing and, for most people, the better photograph.
Best Photo Spots
The glass-floor section
A vertical, straight-down composition you cannot get anywhere else in the city. Steady hands and no flash against the glass.
Toward the Shenzhen River and the SAR boundary
On a clear day the built-up mainland side and the green hills opposite sit in one frame — the most telling image from up here.
Lianhuashan summit at dusk (free)
The whole Futian CBD with this tower standing in it. Costs nothing and is the shot most people actually want.
5Food & Stay
| The podium mallCantonese, dim sum, casual | ¥80–150 per person | Convenient rather than remarkable, but it is indoors and air-conditioned. |
|---|---|---|
| Futian CBD teahousesProper dim sum | ¥80–150 for two | Dim sum is a genuine local strength here. Har gow, siu mai and rice rolls with a pot of tea. |
| Coconut chicken hotpotThe dish most associated with Shenzhen | ¥100–200 per person | Light, clear broth — the opposite of Sichuan hotpot, and the city's own contribution. |
Where to Stay
- Futian CBD: Metro Lines 1, 2, 3 and 11 converge here, the skyline and both parks are walkable, and the Futian port for the Hong Kong SAR is one stop away. Roughly ¥350–700 a night.
6Tips & Pitfalls
- Check visibility the morning of. This is the one attraction in Shenzhen where the weather decides whether the money is well spent.
- Online booking is both cheaper and gives you a time slot — there is little reason to buy at the counter.
- Carry photo ID. Name-verified admission is standard at Chinese attractions.
- Do not pay twice for the same skyline. If the budget is tight, Lianhuashan alone gives you the better-known image for nothing.
7Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Ping An Finance Centre observation deck free?
No. The Free Sky deck on level 116 is ticketed at roughly ¥180 online and ¥200 on the door, with reduced student, senior and child tiers. The free Shenzhen skyline view is Lianhuashan Park, about fifteen minutes' walk north — many guides confuse the two. Official live pricing governs.
How high is the observation deck?
The deck is on level 116 at roughly 541 metres. The 599-metre figure often quoted is the height of the building including its structural top, not the floor you stand on.
What are the opening hours?
Opening is normally from 10:00. Closing is published variously as 21:00 or 22:00 depending on the channel and season, with last entry roughly 45 minutes before. Confirm on the official listing the day you go.
How do I get to Ping An Finance Centre?
Metro Line 1 or 3 to Shopping Park station, Exit D, which links to the building through the underground concourse. Lines 2, 3 and 11 to Futian station also work with a short walk above ground.
Is the deck worth the money?
On a genuinely clear day, yes — 541 metres over a city of this density is a real experience, and the glass floor is unusual. In haze you cannot see far enough to justify it; go to Lianhuashan instead and spend the money on dinner.
Combine With
Other Shenzhen sights that genuinely pair well with this one
Lianhuashan Park
The free half of the same view, fifteen flat minutes north — this is the tower seen from outside instead of the city seen from inside it.
Huaqiangbei Electronics Market
Two metro stops away and the exact opposite register: the skyline is what Shenzhen became, the market is how it got there.
Before You Go
The practical guides you will actually need here
Sort Your Visa First
All Shenzhen attractions
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GoChinaTravel Editorial Team
Our team of China travel researchers combines on-the-ground contributor insights, official government sources, and traveler community feedback to create the most detailed English-language China guides available. Every guide is fact-checked against primary sources (NIA, 12367, official attraction websites, Railway 12306) before publication.