Shenzhen

Shenzhen is a big city in the province of Guangdong, China. It is located near the Pearl River and close to Hong Kong. With a population of 17.5 million, Shenzhen is one of the most crowded cities in China, after only Shanghai and Beijing. The Port of Shenzhen is one of the busiest ports in the world.

Shenzhen became a city in 1979 and grew very fast because of changes in China's economy. It became a special area where businesses could grow quickly, attracting many people and companies. Today, Shenzhen is known for technology and trade. It is often called China’s Silicon Valley because many important tech companies, like Huawei, Tencent, DJI, and Oppo, started there.

The city has many tall buildings and is a major center for finance and science. Shenzhen is also a key place for making cars, being the biggest car manufacturing city in China. Many people from different parts of China have moved to Shenzhen looking for new opportunities, making it a young and lively city.

Toponymy

The name Shenzhen may have first been mentioned in 1410 during the Ming dynasty. The area was named after a deep drain, called "Zhen," that ran through the region. Locals used the word "Zhen" to describe drains in paddy fields.

History

Prehistory to Ming era

The oldest signs of people living in the area where Shenzhen is today go back to the middle of the Neolithic period, about 6,700 years ago. Historic counties were set up there about 1,700 years ago. Two old towns, Nantou and Dapeng, were built over 600 years ago in what is now Shenzhen. The Hakka people have lived in Shenzhen for around 300 years.

In 214 BC, when Emperor Qin Shi Huang united China under the Qin dynasty, the area became part of Nanhai Commandery, one of three commanderies in Lingnan. In 331 AD, the Eastern Jin split Nanhai and made a new Dongguan Commandery. The main town for both areas and Bao'an County was near today’s Nantou town. In 590, the Sui put the area back into Nanhai. In 757, the Tang renamed the county Dongguan and moved its main town to what is now Dongguan city, but kept a military base behind.

During the 1200s, Nantou and nearby areas became a key place for trading salt and spices in the South China Sea. The area became famous for its pearls in the 1300s. In 1362, Chinese sailors went to a Mazu temple in Chiwan (in today’s Nanshan District) before sailing to Nanyang or Southeast Asia. The Battle of Tunmen, when the Ming beat invading Portuguese sailors, happened south of Nantou.

Qing era to 1940s

To stop pirates, people were moved north, and Bao'an County lost two-thirds of its land to nearby Dongguan in 1669. After the Qing dynasty lost to the United Kingdom in the First and Second Opium Wars, Hong Kong Island and the Kowloon Peninsula were given to Britain. On April 21, 1898, the Qing government signed a treaty leasing the New Territories to Britain for 99 years. British forces took over Xin'an, which includes today’s Shenzhen, in 1899.

In 1911, during the Wuchang Uprising, people in Xin'an fought against the local Qing leaders and took over. That same year, the Chinese part of the Kowloon–Canton Railway opened, with its last stop in China at Shenzhen railway station, which helped the town grow.

During World War II, Japan took over Shenzhen and Nantou, but the Bao'an County leaders moved to Dongguan. In 1941, the Japanese tried to enter Hong Kong through the Lo Wu Bridge in Shenzhen, but British forces blew up the bridge to stop them.

1950s to 1980

In 1953, the Bao'an County leaders moved to Shenzhen because it was closer to the railway and bigger than Nantou. From the 1950s to the 1970s, many people tried to escape from mainland China to Hong Kong, and thousands lived in Bao'an County.

In January 1978, a team from the State Council visited and suggested making a foreign trade port in Bao'an County. In October 1978, Bao'an County was changed to Bao'an City and made a medium-level prefecture-level city. But leaders wanted to rename it Shenzhen because that name was better known worldwide.

On March 5, 1979, the State Council approved the name Shenzhen. The city was set up with six areas: Luohu, Nantou, Songgang, Longhua, Longgang and Kuiyong. In January 1979, plans began for the Shekou Industrial Zone to be the first export processing zone in China, led by a Hong Kong group under Yuan Geng.

Special Economic Zone (1980s–present)

In 1980, Shenzhen had about 30,000 people. In May 1980, China’s leaders chose Shenzhen to be the first special economic zone as part of opening up the country. Its job was to test new economic ideas while still following socialist ideals. On August 26, China’s top leaders approved rules for the Guangdong Special Economic Zone.

In 1981, Shenzhen became even more important. Plans to use different currencies were stopped because of risks. In 1983, to keep order, the city put up fences and checkpoints between the special economic zone and the rest of China.

In December 1990, the Shenzhen Stock Exchange opened. In February 1992, Shenzhen got the right to make its own local laws. By 2001, more people from China moved to Shenzhen instead of trying to reach Hong Kong illegally. In May 2008, China approved plans to improve Shenzhen’s systems.

On July 1, 2010, the fences came down, and the special economic zone grew to include all of Shenzhen. In August 2010, China approved plans for the Qianhai zone for working with Hong Kong. In August 2011, Shenzhen hosted a big international sports event for university athletes. In April 2015, the Shekou Industrial Zone and Qianhai Zone became part of the new Guangdong Free-Trade Zone.

On August 18, 2019, China’s leaders announced plans to make Shenzhen a test area for new ways to build socialism.

Geography

Shenzhen is a city in Guangdong, China. It used to be part of an old area called Bao'an County. After some big changes in history, called the Opium Wars, part of this area became British Hong Kong. Shenzhen grew into a city by 1979.

The city is near many places, like Hong Kong to the south, Huizhou to the north, and Dongguan to the northwest. It has many rivers and lakes, including the Shenzhen River.

Climate

Shenzhen has warm weather most of the year. Winters are mild and not too wet, while summers can be hot and very wet. The city gets a lot of rain, especially during the rainy season from April to October. Even though it can get warm, very hot days are rare. The city also sometimes gets strong storms called typhoons during the summer and early autumn.

Politics

Main article: Politics of Shenzhen

Shenzhen, like other cities in China, has a system where both the government and a party group make decisions. The party leader, called the secretary, has more power than the city's mayor.

Shenzhen has the right to make its own rules and laws because it is a special economic zone. This means it can decide many things without needing approval from the central government.

Shenzhen is made up of several areas called districts. Over time, the city has grown and changed its districts. It started with six districts and has since added more, including Bao'an, Longgang, and Nanshan. These districts work together to help the city grow and manage its many people and businesses.

Economy

Shenzhen was the first Special Economic Zones to be created by Deng Xiaoping. It started in April 1979 as a Special Export Zone to welcome investment and bring in new technology and skills. By May 1980, it became a Special Economic Zone. By 2022, Shenzhen's economy was very strong, with a nominal GDP of 3.24 trillion RMB. This made it larger than the economies of nearby Hong Kong and Guangzhou, putting Shenzhen among the top three biggest cities in China, just after Shanghai and Beijing.

Shenzhen is also a very important place for money and business. In 2021, it was ranked as one of the world's top financial centers. The city is expected to keep growing and could be among the top ten biggest economies in the world by 2035.

Industry

Shenzhen's economy is built around four main areas: high tech, finance, logistics, and culture.

High Tech

Shenzhen is a big center for technology in China and around the world. It is famous for its high-tech industry, which was worth 585.491 billion RMB (US$82.9 billion) in 2015. The city is home to important tech companies like Huawei, Tencent, DJI, and ZTE. Huaqiangbei is a popular place to buy gadgets and smartphones.

Shenzhen is also known for making cars. In 2024, it became the top city in China for car production, making more cars than any other city.

Financial services

Shenzhen has many big financial companies, such as China Merchants Bank and Ping An Insurance. The city is one of the world's top ten financial centers.

Container port

The Port of Shenzhen is one of the busiest container ports in the world. It handles a huge amount of cargo, making Shenzhen a major spot for logistics.

Cultural industry

Shenzhen has been growing its cultural industry. In 2008, it was named a "United Nations Design Capital" by UNESCO. The city also has successful video games, like Black Myth: Wukong, which became very popular when it was released in 2024.

Real estate

Shenzhen has a strong real-estate industry. Big companies like the Evergrande Group and Vanke have their headquarters there.

High Tech Industrial Development Zone

In 1996, a special zone for high-tech was created to help grow industries like electronics and information technology.

Tourism

Tourism is becoming more important for Shenzhen. The city is known for its theme parks, like Overseas Chinese Town (OCT), which includes places such as the Window of the World and Happy Valley. Shenzhen also has many parks and tall buildings that attract visitors.

Retail

Shenzhen is a big shopping place, especially in areas like Huaqiang North, which is famous for electronics. The city is also working on using technology to improve shopping experiences.

Demographics

Main article: Demographics of Shenzhen

In 2020, Shenzhen was home to about 17.6 million people. Only about one-third of these people were officially registered to live there. Shenzhen is a younger city, with few people over 60 years old, but it has a high life expectancy of around 81 years. The city has more males than females, with a ratio of 130 males for every 100 females. Shenzhen also has a higher birth rate than many other cities in China.

Before Shenzhen became a special economic zone in 1980, most people there spoke Cantonese or Hakka. However, as people moved in from all over China, Mandarin became the common language. Even so, some people are working to keep the Cantonese language alive as part of Shenzhen’s culture.

Religion

Shenzhen has many people who practice Buddhism and Taoism. There are also Protestant and Catholic churches, as well as mosques in every district. The city is also home to the headquarters of the Holy Confucian Church, which was started in 2009.

Languages

Before Shenzhen grew, most people spoke Cantonese or Hakka. But with so many people moving in from different parts of China, Mandarin became the main language spoken. Still, some people are trying to bring back the Cantonese language as part of the city’s heritage.

Cityscape

See also: List of tallest buildings in Shenzhen

Shenzhen is known for its many tall buildings. In 2019, it was called the world leader in building new skyscrapers. The city has many buildings taller than 150 meters, with 297 finished by July 2021. In 2016 alone, more skyscrapers were built in Shenzhen than in the whole of the US and Australia together. Today, over 85 skyscrapers are still being built, more than anywhere else in the world.

Some of the most famous buildings include the 599 meters tall Ping An Finance Centre, which is the second tallest in China and fifth tallest in the world. Shenzhen also has old buildings with traditional Chinese styles, like the Hakka walled villages in Longgang District and historic temples in Nanshan District. In 2023, a new pavilion with an insect-like design was finished in Longhua District.

Education and research

Main article: Education in Shenzhen

Before the 1980s, Shenzhen had only basic schools, and no one from the city could go to university. But after Shenzhen became a special economic zone in the 1980s, many new people moved in, and more jobs needed university training.

In the 1980s, more schools for older students opened up. Shenzhen Normal School started in 1983 and later became a college to train teachers. Shenzhen University opened the same year as the city's first full university. In 1999, a special area for university learning was created where teachers from top schools taught students. New universities opened in 2011 and 2018, and other famous schools also started campuses in Shenzhen.

By 2025, Shenzhen was among the top cities in the world for scientific research. Getting good primary education in Shenzhen depends on family status. In 2020, only 33% of people in Shenzhen could prove they lived there long-term. All children can go to school for nine years for free. Some of the most popular schools are very hard to get into. Shenzhen has many schools of all kinds, but some say it still needs more, especially for younger students. To fix this, the city is paying teachers more to attract new teachers.

Transport

Main article: Transport in Shenzhen

Shenzhen is a major transportation center in Guangdong and South China. The city has an extensive public transportation system, including rapid transit, buses, and taxis. Many of these services can be accessed using a Shenzhen Tong card or QR codes from WeChat mini programs. Shenzhen was the first big city in the world to use only electric buses and taxis. By 2023, 70% of the cars in Shenzhen were electric vehicles.^: 104 

Shenzhen has its own Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport and is close to Hong Kong International Airport. Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport is an important hub for several airlines and handled many passengers, aircraft, and cargo in 2018. Passengers can also travel by ferry from Shenzhen to Hong Kong. The Shenzhen Metro is the city's rapid transit system, with many lines and stations, and it also includes a tram system in the Longhua District.

Shenzhen has several inter-city railway stations and is connected by high-speed rail and other railway lines. The city's bus system has over 900 lines and uses mostly electric vehicles. Shenzhen is also a key part of China's expressway system, with many expressways running through it. The city is linked to Hong Kong, Zhuhai, and Macau by ferries, and its port is one of the busiest in the world for container shipping.

Culture

Main article: Culture of Shenzhen

Shenzhen is in Guangdong, and its culture has been shaped by the local Cantonese traditions. The city is known for its fast-paced, competitive spirit, often called "Shenzhen speed", which comes from quick development and high energy.

In 2003, the city began working to become a cultural center, focusing on design, animation, and building more libraries. It created special areas for fashion and creative industries, and hosts an international fair for culture every year. Because of these efforts, Shenzhen was named a United Nations Design Capital in 2008.

To support culture, Shenzhen built many libraries, aiming to create a "Library City". By 2015, there were over 600 libraries, including big city libraries and smaller neighborhood ones. Famous spots include the Shenzhen Library and the Shenzhen Children’s Library. The city also has many museums and art galleries, such as the Shenzhen Museum and the He Xiangning Art Museum.

Schools in Shenzhen wear a special blue and white uniform, which is well-known and often seen in online videos and cartoons.

Food

Shenzhen's main food style is Cantonese. Because many people have moved to the city, you can find many different foods there, like Teochew cuisine, Hakka cuisine, Sichuan cuisine, Shanghai cuisine, and Hunan cuisine.

The Yantian District is famous for its seafood, especially from Teochew and Hakka traditions, with many restaurants near the coast.

You can try street food such as Xinjiang cuisine and black sesame soups on Xijie Street and in the urban village of Baishizhou.

The Shekou area in Nanshan District has many long-running local restaurants where you can enjoy desserts, chicken, goose, seafood, and even some western foods.

Shenzhen was the first place in mainland China to open a McDonald's restaurant, which began in the Luohu District on October 8, 1990. Today, McDonald's can be found all over the city.

Shenzhen also has a rich tea culture, with popular tea shops like Hey Tea offering many kinds of cheese and fruit teas.

In 2020, Shenzhen made a law to stop people from eating cats, dogs, and wildlife, making it the first city in China to have such a rule.

Nightlife

Shenzhen has a lively nightlife, especially in areas like COCO Park and Shekou. These places have many bars and clubs that stay open late. Some special events, called tunnel raves, are famous around the world but sometimes get stopped by the police. The city has worked to keep its nightlife safe and friendly for everyone.

Sports

Shenzhen is home to several professional sports teams, such as the Shenzhen Leopards in the Chinese Basketball Association and Shenzhen Peng City F.C in the Chinese Super League. The city has also hosted many international sports events. In 2011, Shenzhen welcomed the 26th Summer Universiade, a big sports event for university students. Later, it hosted tennis tournaments and was one of the cities for the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup.

Shenzhen has many places where people can play and watch sports. One famous event in the city is RoboMaster, a robot competition where students from universities around the world build robots to compete against each other. This exciting competition began in 2015 and offers big prizes, including jobs at DJI.

Environment

Parks and beaches

Main article: List of parks in Shenzhen

Shenzhen has many parks and beautiful beaches. The city created a park system in 2006 with three types: natural parks, urban parks, and community parks. By 2019, there were 1,090 parks covering a large area, including many natural, urban, and community parks. Shenzhen plans to build even more parks by 2035.

Some famous parks include Lianhuashan Park, which has a large statue on top of a hill, and Wutongshan National Park, which offers great views of the city and nearby Hong Kong. Shenzhen Bay Park, opened in 2011, has many places to explore and a long coastal walk. The Mangrove Ecopark, established in 2000, is a small but important park where many birds visit. Shenzhen also has several lovely beaches like Dameisha and Xiaomeisha.

Pollution

See also: Pollution in China

During a recent health challenge, Shenzhen had very good air quality. The city had the lowest levels of harmful particles among big cities in China. Most of the air pollution in Shenzhen comes from building work, using coal, and traffic.

In 2014, some rivers in Shenzhen were very polluted with harmful substances like ammonia. The city worked hard to clean the rivers by building more water pipes and treatment plants.

Environmental protection

From 2000 to 2014, Shenzhen spent a lot of money to clean its rivers. The city built many treatment plants and laid thousands of kilometres of water pipes. By 2020, even more pipes were added.

In 2009, Shenzhen became one of the first cities to test new-energy vehicles. By 2018, the city had an all-electric public bus fleet and most taxis were electric too. In 2019, Shenzhen started a program to sort waste into four groups, with rewards for those who follow the rules.

Media

Shenzhen has many newspapers, magazines, and media companies. There are 14 newspapers and about 200 different kinds of in-house publications. Some of the well-known media companies in Shenzhen include the Shenzhen Media Group, the Shenzhen Press Group, China Entertainment Television (CETV), and the Phoenix Television branch iFeng.

Some important news outlets in Shenzhen are Shenzhen News, which is the main online news source in Chinese, and Shenzhen Daily, an English-language news outlet. There is also That's Shenzhen, which is the Shenzhen edition of That's PRD, and ShekouDaily.com, which focuses on news for the Shekou area.

Relations with Hong Kong

The area now known as Shenzhen and Hong Kong was once part of the same region in old times. After a war, the United Kingdom took control of Hong Kong Island and another area called the New Territories. This created the boundary between the two places we see today. Shenzhen and Hong Kong are close to each other, separated by two bays and a river. Their closeness has helped them work together economically.

Since Shenzhen became a special economic zone in 1980, Hong Kong has been its biggest trading partner. They share many business activities, and in 2015, the amount of goods traded between them was very large. They also created a special area called Qianhai to help both cities grow. There are several places where people can cross between Shenzhen and Hong Kong, making travel and trade easier.

Sister cities

Shenzhen has made many friends around the world by creating sister city relationships. In 1989, the mayor of Shenzhen visited Houston and they became the first sister cities. By 2015, Shenzhen had 25 sister cities. As of May 2021, Shenzhen is twinned with many places, including:

• Houston, United States, since March 1986
• Plovdiv, Bulgaria, since November 2013
• Brescia, Italy, since November 1991
• Brisbane, Australia, since June 1992
• Poznań, Poland, since July 1993
• Kingston, Jamaica, since March 1995
• Lomé, Togo, since June 1996
• Nuremberg, Germany, since May 1997
• Walloon Brabant, Belgium, since October 2003
• Tsukuba, Japan, since June 2004
• Gwangyang, South Korea, since October 2004
• Johor Bahru, Malaysia, since July 2006
• Perm, Russia, since 2006
• Turin, Italy, since January 2007
• Timișoara, Romania, since February 2007
• Hull, United Kingdom
• Rotherham, United Kingdom, since November 2007
• Luxor, Egypt, since 6 September 2007
• Reno, United States, since 30 April 2008
• Samara, Russia, since 19 December 2008
• Montevideo, Uruguay, since February 2009
• Kalocsa, Hungary, since 2011
• Haifa, Israel, since 2012
• Barcelona, Spain, since July 2012
• Apia, Samoa, since August 2015
• Phnom Penh, Cambodia, since December 2017
• Edinburgh, Scotland, since June 2019

Other twinnings

The Shenzhen Port works with:

• The Port of Santa Cruz de Tenerife, Spain, since June 2013.