In the wave of booming development of the global “medical+tourism” industry, Shenzhen is rapidly emerging as a highly competitive medical tourism zone in the Asia-Pacific region by virtue of the strategic opportunity of the “dual-zone drive” (the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area), the international first-class medical technology level, the efficient and convenient service system, and the location advantage of being adjacent to Hong Kong and Macao. In the wave of booming development of the global “medical + tourism” industry, Shenzhen is rapidly emerging as a competitive medical tourism destination in the Asia-Pacific region by virtue of the strategic opportunity of the “dual-zone drive” (Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area and the model zone of socialism with Chinese characteristics), the level of international first-class medical technology, the highly efficient and convenient service system, as well as the locational advantage of being adjacent to Hong Kong and Macao. Not only does it have cutting-edge medical technology that is on par with international standards, but it also provides a one-stop solution of “treatment+recreation+cultural experience” for patients around the world with a full-scene service that integrates “medical care, health care, tourism and residence”.
Supporting facilities:
The core competitiveness of medical tourism lies not only in technology, but also in the supporting ecology of “medical tourism integration”. Shenzhen has built a full chain of facilities covering transportation, accommodation, services and rehabilitation, allowing patients to experience the comfort and convenience of “medical treatment is life” while undergoing treatment.
Transportation Network: Shenzhen has the world's first transportation network. Transportation network: Shenzhen has the world's first “super high-speed rail + international airport + port” three-dimensional transportation hub - Guangzhou-Shenzhen-Hong Kong high-speed rail 30 minutes directly to Hong Kong West Kowloon, Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport has opened more than 120 international air routes, covering Southeast Asia, Japan and South Korea, The Shenzhen Baoan International Airport has opened more than 120 international air routes covering major cities in Southeast Asia, Japan, Korea, Europe and America; 16 lines of metro in the city connect major hospitals, and cross-border buses go directly to Hong Kong and Macao, so the efficiency of “medical treatment on arrival” for foreign patients has been greatly improved.
. International medical parks: Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong Modern Service Industry Cooperation Zone, Loop Shenzhen-Hong Kong Science and Technology Innovation Cooperation Zone and other key areas, has built or planned a number of international medical complex. For example, Qianhai International Medical & Healthcare City gathers high-end medical institutions such as the University of Hong Kong Shenzhen Hospital and Shenzhen Wo Zheng Hospital, and is equipped with international rehabilitation hotels, cross-border shopping malls, and bilingual schools, forming a closed loop of “treatment-rehabilitation-life”.
. Service details: for foreign patients, many hospitals in Shenzhen have set up “international medical departments”, providing multi-language consultation (English, Japanese, Korean, etc.), cross-border medical insurance settlement, visa assistance (some hospitals can handle short-term medical visas on behalf of the hospital), and culturally adapted services (e.g., religious diets and prayer spaces); supporting spa treatments, traditional Chinese medicine, yoga courses, etc., extending the treatment-recovery-life loop in the rehabilitation phase. In the rehabilitation stage, the hospital provides spa treatment, traditional Chinese medicine and yoga courses to extend the boundary of medical services.
Characteristic treatment modes:
The attractiveness of medical tourism in Shenzhen stems from its dual advantage of “cutting-edge technology + personalized solutions”. The five core areas of precision tumor treatment, high-end physical examination, stem cells and regenerative medicine, cross-border Chinese medicine, and medical beauty and anti-aging are gathered here, covering the needs of the whole life cycle from disease treatment to health maintenance.
. Precision Tumor Treatment: Relying on Shenzhen University General Hospital and Shenzhen Hospital of Cancer Hospital of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, we have introduced international top technologies such as proton heavy ion radiotherapy, CAR-T cell therapy, and multidisciplinary joint diagnosis and treatment (MDT). For example, the Center for Precision Medicine in Shenzhen University General Hospital has carried out more than 300 cases of CAR-T treatment, with a remission rate of more than 80% for lymphoma and leukemia, and the cost is only 1/3-1/2 of that in Europe and the United States.
. High-end health checkups: The “Presidential Package” of the International Medical Center of the University of Hong Kong Shenzhen Hospital and the “Customized Early Cancer Screening” of AIHG Guobin/Menet Health combine AI image diagnosis, genetic testing and other technologies to provide in-depth medical checkups ranging from basic indexes to early cancer screening, with reports in both Chinese and English. The reports are bilingual and internationally recognized test results are issued within 3 working days.
. Stem Cells and Regenerative Medicine: Shenzhen, as the “City of Stem Cells”, has the first stem cell clinical research institution in China (Stem Cell and Regenerative Medicine Center of Shenzhen University), which carries out stem cell treatments for diabetes, Parkinson's disease, osteoarthritis and other diseases, and some of its projects have entered the stage of international multi-center clinical trials.
. Cross-border Chinese medicine services: Relying on the Shenzhen Museum of Traditional Chinese Medicine and the Shenzhen Hospital of Beijing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, the company has launched the service of “Chinese medicine treatment of unhealthy diseases + customization for overseas patients”. For example, for Southeast Asian patients with hot and humid bodies, we provide acupuncture, moxibustion and medicinal dietary adjustments, and provide bilingual Chinese medicine practitioners to promote Chinese medicine culture “overseas”.
. Medical beauty anti-aging: Shenzhen many private medical beauty institutions (such as Shenzhen United Liger, Star Medical Beauty) to introduce Thermage, ultrasonic knife, personalized injections and other international equipment and technology, combined with AI facial analysis to develop a plan, while supporting the post-surgery restoration and care, attracting a large number of Hong Kong, Macao and Southeast Asian patients.
recommended hospitals:
Shenzhen medical tourism “hard core strength”, hidden in an “international model” hospital. They or relying on top university resources, or plowing specialties, together to build a multi-level medical service network.
. The University of Hong Kong Shenzhen Hospital: the first public hospital in China to be accredited by JCI (Joint Commission on International Accreditation of Healthcare Institutions), the International Medical Center (IMC) provides general medicine, specialties, high-end medical checkups, etc., with foreign patients accounting for more than 30% of the total number of patients, and supports direct settlement of Hong Kong's health insurance, which is regarded as “the benchmark of the integration of medical care between Shenzhen and Hong Kong”. .
. Shenzhen Hospital of Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (CASC): a top five tertiary hospital in China for oncology, with the world's most advanced proton therapy center (under construction), has carried out precision radiotherapy for solid tumors such as lung cancer and liver cancer, and receives more than 2,000 cases of international oncology patients annually.
. Shenzhen University General Hospital: Relying on the national key discipline of Biomedical Engineering of Shenzhen University, the hospital focuses on the development of precision tumor treatment, organ transplantation, and critical care medicine, and its “da Vinci Surgical Robot” ranks the top in South China in terms of the number of surgeries performed annually, with the advantages of less trauma and quicker recovery. Its “da Vinci Surgical Robot” is one of the largest in South China in terms of the number of surgeries per year.
. Shenzhen People's Hospital: As the oldest comprehensive tertiary hospital in Shenzhen, its international medical department provides multidisciplinary joint diagnosis and treatment (MDT), remote consultation (in cooperation with Harvard Medical School and Johns Hopkins Hospital), and opens the green channel of “treatment first and payment later”.
. Sigma Shun Chiu Lin Eye Hospital in Shenzhen: Founded by Hong Kong's “Sage of Ophthalmology” Prof. Shun Chiu Lin, the hospital specializes in the treatment of difficult ophthalmological diseases (such as retinal detachment and glaucoma) and is equipped with the world's leading femtosecond laser and ICL implantation equipment, with 70% of its foreign patients coming from Southeast Asia.
the core advantage:
Compared with traditional medical tourism destinations (e.g. Japan, South Korea, Thailand), Shenzhen's advantage lies in the comprehensive cost-effectiveness of “hard-core technology + efficient service + controllable cost”.
. Leading technology: Shenzhen's medical technology level ranks first in the country, and is in line with international standards in areas such as precision tumor treatment, stem cells, and 5G remote surgery. For example, Shenzhen University General Hospital has completed the “5G+Robotics Remote Prostate Cancer Radical Surgery” with a delay of only 0.1 seconds, which is a world-leading technical index.
. Efficient service: Shenzhen has implemented a “one-stop” medical service model, where international patients can make appointments, pay fees, and check reports through the hospital's official website or WeChat public number, and the average waiting time for medical treatment has been shortened to less than 30 minutes (the average time in China is 1.5 hours); some hospitals provide “hospitalization housekeeper” services, assisting in the whole process of checkups and examinations; and some hospitals provide “inpatient housekeeper” services. Some hospitals provide “inpatient housekeeper” services, assisting in the whole process of examination, medication and rehabilitation.
. Controllable costs: medical costs in Shenzhen are only 1/3-1/2 of those in Europe and the U.S., and 1/2-2/3 of those in Hong Kong; for example, for tumor CAR-T treatment, the cost in the U.S. is about US$500,000 (about RMB 3.6 million), while the same treatment in Shenzhen costs only RMB 800,000 to 1.2 million; the cost of high-end medical checkups is about 60% of those in Hong Kong and 50% of those in Japan.
. Policy dividends: Shenzhen is the first city in the country to pilot “cross-border medical insurance settlement”, foreign patients can pay through the combination of “commercial insurance + medical insurance”; the “Shenzhen Promoting the Development of Cross-border Medical Tourism Implementation Opinions” issued in 2023 makes it clear that it will gradually open the door to the development of cross-border medical tourism. The “Implementation Opinions on Promoting the Development of Cross-border Medical Tourism in Shenzhen” issued in 2023 clearly states that it will gradually liberalize the policy of facilitating short-term visas for foreign patients (e.g., 30-day medical visas) and promote the pilot project of “medical tourism visas”.
Policy support:
The rapid development of medical tourism in Shenzhen can not be separated from the strong support of the policy. In recent years, Shenzhen to “dual-zone” construction as an opportunity to introduce a series of policies to promote the deep integration of medical care, tourism, health care industry.
. Normal planning: “Shenzhen Health Care Development” 14th Five-Year Plan “clearly puts forward the construction of international medical tourism center”, the goal of 2025, the introduction of 3-5 internationally renowned medical institutions, to cultivate more than 10 internationally influential specialties. specialties with international influence.
. Cross-border cooperation: support the linkage of medical resources between Shenzhen and Hong Kong, allow Hong Kong doctors to practise in Shenzhen at multiple locations, promote the University of Hong Kong Shenzhen Hospital and Himalayan Shun Chiu Eye Hospital in Shenzhen to become “cross-border medical demonstration institutes”; explore the convergence of medical rules between Qianhai and Hong Kong, and pilot the use of medicines and medical devices from Hong Kong and Macao in Shenzhen. Explore the convergence of medical rules of “Qianhai-Hong Kong”, and pilot the first use of Hong Kong and Macao medicines and medical devices in Shenzhen.
. Industrial support: provide tax incentives and land protection for international medical tourism projects; encourage social capital to invest in high-end medical care, and subsidize medical institutions with an investment of more than 500 million yuan by 10% of the actual investment; support insurance institutions to develop “medical tourism insurance” to cover the risk of medical treatment abroad.
. Talent attraction: the implementation of the “three projects of health care” (famous doctors, famous hospitals, famous clinics), the introduction of top medical teams at home and abroad; and Harvard Medical School, Oxford University and other cooperation to establish a training base, to enhance the internationalization of the service capabilities of local doctors.
Summarize: Shenzhen medical tourism, more than just “treatment”!
When medical treatment meets tourism, Shenzhen is redefining the boundaries of the health industry with the vigor of a “city of innovation”. Here is not only the treatment of disease “technology highland”, but also a healthy lifestyle “experience capital” - patients in the advanced treatment at the same time, you can visit the history of Dapeng City, the ancient charm, Wutong Mountain cloud Patients can visit the history of Dapeng City, the ancient charm of Wutong Mountain, the sunrise of the clouds, the coastal scenery of Shenzhen Bay, so that the “treatment” into a “healing journey”.
In the future, with the deepening opening of the Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong Cooperation Zone and the transformation of scientific and technological achievements in the Loop Cooperation Zone, medical tourism in Shenzhen is expected to become the core engine of the “Healthy Bay Area” of the Greater Bay Area, attracting tourists from all over the world to “come for health and stay for experience”.