Shenzhen
1,997 km²
Taipei
272 km²
China
Taiwan
Area Comparison
Shenzhen is 7.3x larger than Taipei
Population Comparison
Shenzhen has 6.6x more people than Taipei
In terms of area, Shenzhen is 7.3x the size of Taipei. Shenzhen spans 1,997 km² (771 mi²) while Taipei covers 272 km² (105 mi²) — a difference of 1,725 km². You could fit Taipei inside Shenzhen approximately 7 times.
To put Shenzhen's size in perspective, its area of 1,997 km² is roughly the same size as Tokyo (city proper). Meanwhile, Taipei at 272 km² is about 1.2x the size of Amsterdam.
In more relatable units, Shenzhen's 1,997 km² is about 280,000 American football fields, 34 times the area of Manhattan, or 19 times the area of Paris. Taipei works out to about 38,000 American football fields, 130 times the area of Monaco, or 80 times the area of Central Park.
Shenzhen is a prefecture-level city in the province of Guangdong, China. A special economic zone, it is located on the east bank of the Pearl River estuary on the central coast of Guangdong, bordering Hong Kong to the south, Dongguan to the north, Huizhou to the northeast, and Macau to the southwest. With a population of 17.5 million in 2020, Shenzhen is the third-most-populous city by urban population in China after Shanghai and Beijing.
Known as "China's Silicon Valley", Shenzhen covers 1,997 km² with a population of 17.6 million. The city was established in 1979. Shenzhen is known for Ping An Finance Centre, Window of the World, OCT Loft, among other attractions. The city's main transit system is the Shenzhen Metro.
Shenzhen grew from a small town into China's third-most-populous urban city, hitting 17.5 million residents by 2020
Taipei, officially Taipei City, is the capital and a special municipality of Taiwan. Located in Northern Taiwan, Taipei City is an enclave of the municipality of New Taipei City that sits about 25 kilometres (16 mi) southwest of the northern port city of Keelung. Most of the city rests on the Taipei Basin, an ancient lakebed. The basin is bounded by the relatively narrow valleys of the Keelung and Xindian rivers, which join to form the Tamsui River along the city's western border.
Taipei has an area of 272 km² and is home to 2.6 million people. It was established in 1709. Visitors come for Taipei 101 tower, Chiang Kai-shek Memorial, Shilin Night Market, and much more. Getting around is easy with the Taipei Metro (MRT).
Most of Taipei rests on the Taipei Basin, an ancient lakebed bounded by narrow river valleys.
Looking beyond city limits, the Taipei metropolitan area covers 2,458 km², which is 1.2x larger than greater Shenzhen at 1,997 km². The Shenzhen metro area is also more populous, with 17.6 million people compared to 7.0 million.
Shenzhen has a population density of 8,793 people per km² — a densely populated city. Taipei, with 9,743 people per km², is a densely populated city. Both cities have comparable density, though Taipei is slightly more compact.
Both cities are in Asia, but they represent different national approaches to urban development. Shenzhen (China) and Taipei (Taiwan) offer a fascinating regional contrast.
Both cities share a humid subtropical climate, though local geography creates distinct microclimates in each.
Size Ratio
Taipei fits inside Shenzhen ~7 times
History
Taipei is ~270 years older
Shenzhen covers 1,997 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Ho Chi Minh City (2,061 km²), Tokyo (2,194 km²), Riyadh (1,798 km²), Houston (1,725 km²), or Johannesburg (1,644 km²).
Taipei covers 272 km². Cities with a similar urban footprint include Edinburgh (259 km²), Kuala Lumpur (243 km²), Munich (311 km²), Boston (232 km²), or Osaka (225 km²).
The straight-line distance from Shenzhen to Taipei is 812 km (505 miles), with an estimated flight time of ~1h 27m.
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