Shenzhen

INTRO
Shenzhen is a sub-provincial city in Southern China. It is located only 25 km away from Hong Kong. Not so long ago - in the early 80s - Shenzhen was a small fishing village. It developed as a big industrial city due to its designation as a Special Economic Zone. The initial purpose of that was Shenzhen to become a buffer zone between Hong Kong and the rest of mainland China. For the past 25 years non-Chinese companies have invested more than $30 billion in Shenzhen - for forming joint ventures and building factories. This has transformed the former fishing village into one of the fastest growing cities in the world.

City Profile
City: Shenzhen
Country: China
Area: 2, 020 km²
Population:8, 000, 000
Districts:6
Governor: Mayor - Han
Language: Mandarin

LOCATION
The city of Shenzhen is located in the Pearl River Delta. The territory of the modern metropolis was originally a mountainous area with lots of fertile agricultural land. After the introduction of Special Economic Zone in 1979, the landscape of Shenzhen was tremendously altered. The hilly fishing village was replaced by flat ground - especially in the downtown area. Today, the municipality of Shenzhen covers 2,020 km2 of land - including rural and urban areas.

TIME TO VISIT
Shenzhen features subtropical climate - the city is located at about the Tropic of Cancer. Weather is generally pleasant - temperatures are mild throughout almost the whole year. Spring is relatively cool and dry, so is autumn. Wintertime in Shenzhen could surprise you with some cold snaps. Although, they are quite rare and weather in the winter is warm enough to allow you to do just about anything. Summers are rather warm and humid, with typhoons occasionally hitting from the east. Summer temperatures rarely exceed 35°C. Celebrations of the Chinese New Year are very attractive and fascinating - feast last 15 days. The dates of the holiday vary each year - in different periods January and February - double check if you want your visit to Shenzhen to coincide with the Chinese New Year.

POPULATION
The population of Shenzhen has rapidly increased since the establishment of the Special Economic Zone. Including floating residents, the population of Shenzhen is between 8 and 9 million people. One of the main reasons for the economic boom and the population growth of the city is the cost of labour - substantially lower than in neighbouring Hong Kong. Due to the large number of immigrants in Shenzhen from inland China, the government has issued laws and regulations to restrict the huge wave of immigration. In Guandong Province, Shenzhen is the only city where Mandarin is mostly spoken.

DISTRICTS

Luohu - one of the six administrative districts of the Special Economic Zone of Shenzhen City. It features an uneven topography and contains a lot of fresh water sources. Shuiku or "Water Reservoir" located in Luohu is an important source of fresh water for both Shenzhen and Hong Kong. The highest peak in Shenzhen - Wutong Mountain (944m) is in Luohu District.
Futian - a predominantly residential district - known as the hub of living in Shenzhen. The district also houses a large number of high rises - including some of the most important buildings in Shenzhen such as Shenzhen Stock Exchange, Diwang Building, Shenzhen Library and Shenzhen Development bank.
Nanshan - the garden district of the city with lots of parks and green areas - more than the rest of Shenzhen. A lot of foreign companies house their employees and their families in Nanshan District - this is the area of Shenzhen where the international schools are located. Most of the business and restaurants in Nanshan are aimed at the expatriate tastes and lifestyle - service in English is quite common.
Longgang - the largest administrative zone of Shenzhen Municipality, encompassing an area of 884 km2. It is situated outside the Special Economic Zone - northeast of Shenzhen. One of the main tourist attractions of the district is the Longgang museum of Hakka culture.
Bao'an - the largest district of Shenzhen - in terms of population which is more than 5, 000, 000 people. Alongside with Longgang, Bao'an is one of the two districts lying outside the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone. The district is the site of Shenzhen Bao'an International Airport.
Yantian - encompasses an area of 72,63 km2. It is surrounded by Luohu and Longgang districts. To the south Yantian district is adjacent to Shenzhen River.

SIGHTS & ATTRACTIONS

Splendid China and Chinese Folk Culture Village - represents a miniature park of China. It contains a large number of houses, streets and 24 villages built in 1:1 ratio. Here visitors can experience the fashion, habits, culture, religion, language and even some foods of 56 nationalities in China - Miao, Bai, Mongol, Yi and many others. In the village you can also see replicas of the Forbidden City, the Great Wall of China, Terracotta Soldiers, Yunnan's Stone Forest and Tibet Potala Palace.
Window of The World - a park with an area of 480, 000 square meters that allows you to travel around the world in just one day. It features breathtaking landscapes and beautiful lighting at night. In the park visitors could see a 1:3 ratio Eiffel Tower, Egyptian Pyramid, Grand Canyon, Taj Mahal, Pisa Tower and lots of other places of interest.
The He XiangNing Art Museum - a complement to the National Art Gallery of China, this is China's second national modern art museum. Currently, the museum is host to the "Fresh Eyes 06" exhibition. It also has a great collection of world-class modern paintings.
http://www.hxnart.com/msgjs.htm
Shenzhen Garden and Flower Exposition Centre - a great spot to spend some time relaxing and contemplating. The Exposition Centre features a huge outdoor park with a beautiful water park and a pagoda.

AIRPORT

Shenzhen Bao'an Airport - the major international and domestic air transportation hub of Shenzhen. The airport is connected with Downtown Shenzhen by direct coach 330 - fee for single trip is 25Y. Shenzhen Bao'an Airport is connected with Shenzhen Rail Station in Luohu by Mini-bus K568. Taxi from the airport to downtown costs around 100RMB plus 10RMB for toll.
http://www.szairport.com/

LOCAL TRANSPORTATION

The Shenzhen Metro - the cheapest and most convenient way to get around Shenzhen. It is also easy to understand for foreign visitors - as signs are posted in English. Train comes every 10 minutes. Each ride costs 5 yuan or even less - depending on length of trip.
http://www.szmc.net/index.jsp
http://www.shenzhenparty.com/comingtoshenzhen/index.html#metro
Public buses - buses run almost everywhere in Shenzhen and fee for most trips is just 2 yuan. There are also smaller or "mini" buses which are very easy to find and most of the times will drop you off wherever you want. Most buses in Shenzhen operate at every 5 minutes.
Taxi - cabs in Shenzhen are comfortable, affordable and quite easy to find. Meters start from 12,5 yuan for the first three kilometres, and charge for each 250 meters is 0,6 yuan. Night costs are higher.

HISTORY
Just 3 decades ago Shenzhen was a small fishing village. In 1979, it became the first of the Special Economic Zones in China. The SEZ were initially created as experimental ground of capitalism in socialist Chinese economy. The location of the Shenzhen Special Economic zone was chosen in order to attract industrial investments from Hong Kong - as the two places share the same culture and are nearby each other. Eventually, Shenzhen has become one of the largest cities in the Pearl River Delta - one of the powerhouses of China as the biggest manufacturing base in the world.

CITY LINKS

Shenzhen Government - http://www.sz.gov.cn/
Shenzhen Daily - http://paper.sznews.com/szdaily/
Shenzhen Travel Guide - http://www.synotrip.com/shenzhen
Party and nightlife guide - http://www.shenzhenparty.com/

UNIVERSITY LINKS

Shenzhen University - http://www.szu.edu.cn/szu2007/doce/about.asp?DcoID=4&CateID=28