China

Shenzhen

A fishing village turned tech hub on Hong Kong's doorstep. On the intercity railway, your passport is the ticket.

Gongjiao (公交)

Ride with a Shenzhen Tong card or cash. The contactless tap-to-ride that Shenzhen Metro opened to overseas bank cards has not reached the buses. Fareboxes give no change, so carry small coins.

Updated on August 24, 2026

How to ride

1
Get a Shenzhen Tong or coins ready

Every route is conductor-free. Get a Shenzhen Tong card, or break enough 0.5- and 1-yuan coins.
2
Board at the front door, then tap or drop

Hold your card to the reader beside the driver, or drop the fare into the farebox. No change is given.
3
Check the fare table posted inside the bus

Fares differ by route. Routes over 28 km charge by distance, so the amount depends on where you get off.
4
On distance-based routes, tap again as you leave

Miss either tap and the system claws the difference back later. Same for cards and QR codes.

Fares

Single fares5

Route up to 11 km long

1 yuan without air-conditioning, 2 with; routes up to 28 km charge by total length.

1〜2 CNY ≈ $0.1–0.3

Route 11-18 km long

1.5 yuan without air-conditioning, 2.5 with; the citywide benchmark is CNY 0.22 per passenger-km.

1.5〜2.5 CNY ≈ $0.2–0.4

Route 18-28 km long

2 yuan without air-conditioning, 3 with - the top of the flat-fare range.

2〜3 CNY ≈ $0.3–0.4

Route over 28 km long (distance-based)

Charged by the distance you ride - from 2 yuan, capped at 10 (7 without air-conditioning).

2〜10 CNY ≈ $0.3–1

Express bus (BRT)

Distance travelled times CNY 0.22 per passenger-kilometre, capped at CNY 10 per ride.

1〜10 CNY ≈ $0.1–1

Children & discounts1

Child under 1.2 m tall

Children 1.2-1.5 m pay half; it goes by height, so no document is needed.

0 CNY

Estimates use exchange rates as of November 4, 2026

Payment

Tap to ride Only physical cards carrying the UnionPay mark

International brands do not appear in the official list of ways to pay.

銀聯VISAMastercardJCBAmex

The overseas-card tap-to-ride launched on the metro has not come to the buses.

IC card

At the gates: Shenzhen Tong works, and so do the Lingnan Pass and national T-union cards.

App tickets

QR ticketing

Official guidance written for Hong Kong residents says the WeChat ride code needs a mainland phone number and a Home Return Permit to activate.

In the wallet: You can ride with the Shenzhen Tong or Tencent ride codes.

Paper tickets

On board: There are no conductors; nothing is sold on board, so you drop the fare or tap.

Cash

On board: No change is given, and fares run in 0.5-yuan steps - carry small coins.

Quick facts

Fares from

1 CNY+

Heads-up

Distance-based routes need a tap on the way out

Some routes charge by distance and need a tap both when you board and when you get off. Miss the second tap and the fare is clawed back later - at the minimum fare for the first three times, and from the fourth at the fare all the way to the end of the line. Discounts and transfer credit do not apply to those clawbacks.