However, those who prefer sightseeing to sunbathing or watersports should head east to find the Wishing Tower, a three-level observatory with a 360-degree view of the beach, the yacht club, a shopping outlet and the surrounding resort area. The tower also houses a short, Mandarin-language deep sea experience aimed at children.

To the west, you’ll see the boardwalk, Dameisha Coastal Walkway, hugging the rocky shore before it traverses the hillside to connect to the 19.5km-long Yantian District Coastal Walkway, which offers plenty of photo opportunities along the way. Yantian Seafood Street is just 20 minutes away on foot if you follow the walkway, though you may need to spend some time selecting one that’s less geared purely towards tourists.

Across the road from the beach is a resort area housing the Hampton by Hilton Shenzhen Dameisha: it comes to life at night with a selection of restaurants and a swathe of food stalls where you can enjoy a fruit tea or icy dessert, after a hearty bowl of beef noodle soup. Continue east and you’ll come across the European-inspired architecture of Dameisha 8 Warehouse Outlet – a location that seems designed for social media, with its village-style layout, picturesque bridges and lake, mountain views and a wall covered in cuddly toys. Here you’ll find many local and international food and apparel brands.

You can also take a day trip up Shenzhen’s tallest peak, Wutong Mountain, to explore its national park and the cityscape views it offers. To get there, take the metro to Haishan Station then walk to Bitong Lu, which leads to the start of a paved climb. The mountain – also called the “first peak of Peng Cheng” – overlooks Mirs Bay, which hugs the smattering of islands around Sai Kung and northeastern Hong Kong, as well as Dameisha and the urban scenery of Shenzhen below. It’s at least a five-hour round trip, but the views are worth it.

If you have the time to explore the area further, you’ll find out how Dameisha is the gateway to a plethora of things to eat, see and do further inland. But for a short holiday on the coastline, close to Hong Kong yet feeling a world away from the city, Dameisha is a refreshing and fulfilling adventure.