I have not had many relaxing massages in my life – they tend to leave me more sore than satisfied – but the one I was given at a 24-hour spa in Shenzhen, in China’s Guangdong province, just a stone’s throw from Hong Kong, lulled me into a Zen-like state so profound that I became entirely detached from this world.

The internet’s obsession with 24-hour spas is nothing new – jjimjilbangs, or Korean bathhouses, have long been essential stopovers for visitors to South Korea – but the focus on China’s mega-spas is a more recent trend. It is easy to see why: many of these viral spas seem designed with social media in mind, with interiors and activities perfect for documenting on Instagram and TikTok; one in Shenzhen even offers scuba diving lessons.

Shenzhen’s Tangqi Tangquan Life Tenz – often referred to as Tenz or Tenz Spa online – is located a few minutes’ walk from the Futian checkpoint at the Hong Kong-mainland China border. And while it does not offer scuba lessons, it is among the spas most frequently highlighted by content creators in the Chinese city.

My recent trip to Tangqi Tangquan Life Tenz began after work on a rainy Tuesday evening in May, and the journey itself was straightforward: from Hong Kong’s Causeway Bay, my husband and I took the MTR to the border checkpoint at Lok Ma Chau.

We filled in arrival cards – visa-free entry for me, a British passport holder – on our phones after scanning a QR code. There are also touch-screen booths at the checkpoint, and staff are typically on hand to help.

Neither of us holds mainland travel permits, and so we were directed to the manned counters. Travelling late in the evening, when fewer people were around, we breezed through and reached Tenz within minutes.

Beyond the standard spa amenities – saunas, bubbling pools and massage chairs – the five-floor retreat offers unlimited complimentary ice cream, fruit and drinks, as well as an amusement arcade, virtual reality “rides”, board games and more.