Shekou (蛇口) is an area at the tip of Nantou Peninsula in Shenzhen, Guangdong, China, south of Nantou and facing Lau Fau Shan of Hong Kong across Deep Bay. It was formerly a customs station in Bao'an County and now belongs to Nanshan District of Shenzhen. On 1979-01-31, it became Shekou Industrial Zone developed solely by China Merchants of Hong Kong, earlier than the formation of Shenzhen Special Economic Zone. The neighborhood has become a centre of expatriate life in Shenzhen; in addition to becoming a residential hub for Westerners, Shekou features many Western businesses and restaurants. Shekou is an excellent entry point to China. You can land at the Hong Kong airport and get a ferry direct to Shekou without going through HK Customs/Immigration. Buses go direct from the ferry port to Shenzhen airport about 1-1/4 hours away and from there you can get flights to most parts of China on a regular basis - Shanghai or Beijing every hour. Shekou is also the China mainland entry point for the Hong Kong-Shenzhen Western Corridor that opened on 1 July 2007. It links Shekou with Yuen Long of Hong Kong.