Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport — Shenzhen, China

Wave-like white canopies define Terminal 3 at SZX, a structure designed by architect Massimiliano Fuksas that has become an architectural symbol of Shenzhen's transformation from a fishing town into one of China's leading technology centers. The airport sits in the Pearl River Delta close to Hong Kong, and it competes with that city's own airport for passengers traveling to and from southern China's manufacturing and tech corridor, home to companies including Tencent and Huawei. Ferry services connect the airport directly to destinations in Hong Kong and Macau, offering an unusual multimodal option not found at most Chinese airports. Shenzhen's population grew from a small town to a megacity within a few decades following its designation as a special economic zone in 1980, and the airport's rapid expansion has tracked that growth closely. Domestic routes link Shenzhen to virtually every major Chinese city, while international service continues to expand alongside the region's economic influence.