Shenzhen, located in Guangdong Province, was a remote rural village just half a century ago. Today, it is one of China's most dynamic cities, filled with skyscrapers and home to global information technology (IT) firms, electric vehicle, battery, and drone companies.
However, before the reforms and opening-up in 1978, Shenzhen looked very different. It was a small fishing and farming area adjacent to Hong Kong. Before the emergence of the massive city we see today, it was part of Bao'an County, dotted with agricultural land, small villages, and fishing communities.
Shenzhen is situated just north of Hong Kong. Before the reforms, Hong Kong was literally a 'different world' for people from mainland China, being significantly wealthier and serving as a gateway to the outside world. As a result, many sought to escape to Hong Kong, especially from the 1950s to the 1970s, when the area around Shenzhen became a last checkpoint for those trying to flee the mainland.
Crossing the border was a life-threatening endeavor. Many attempted to escape at night, dodging barbed wire or crossing the sea to reach Hong Kong. A significant number were caught, and some lost their lives. Thus, the past of what is now known as a global innovation city is intertwined with a dark history of being a 'gateway to Hong Kong.' At that time, Shenzhen's location marked the boundary between socialist China and capitalist Hong Kong.
Shenzhen's fate began to change in 1980 when China's paramount leader Deng Xiaoping chose this underdeveloped border area as a testing ground for reforms. On August 26, 1980, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress designated Shenzhen as a special economic zone, making it China's first such zone. Shenzhen became the 'window' through which China embraced the market economy and technology from the capitalist world.
Capital flowed in from Hong Kong, along with businesses and technology. Utilizing cheap labor and ample land, factories producing toys, textiles, and electronics rapidly established themselves in Shenzhen. As Hong Kong companies relocated their production bases to Shenzhen, the border transformed from a 'line to cross' into a 'path for business.'
Investment surged, and the population grew. In 1980, Shenzhen's GDP was just 270 million yuan (approximately $54.9 million). By 1990, it had skyrocketed to 17.167 billion yuan, marking a nearly 60-fold increase in just a decade. The population also surged from about 330,000 in 1980 to around 1.68 million in 1990, effectively creating a new city.
Global companies began to emerge. In 1987, Huawei, which would later become a leading Chinese enterprise, was founded in Shenzhen. Initially a small agency selling telecommunications equipment from Hong Kong, it invested in research and development and grew into a global giant encompassing telecommunications, semiconductors, AI, electric vehicles, and smartphones.
In 1995, Wang Chuanfu founded BYD in Shenzhen, starting with rechargeable batteries rather than automobiles. After initially producing mobile phone batteries, BYD entered the automotive industry in 2003 and has since transformed into a leading company in electric vehicles and batteries.
In 1998, Ma Huateng and others established Tencent in Shenzhen. The following year, the launch of the QQ messenger became a symbol of China's internet era, marking the rise of an internet company that changed online life for Chinese citizens.
In 2006, a young college student named Frank Wang founded DJI while commuting between Hong Kong and Shenzhen. Starting from a dormitory, DJI created a new market for drones. The company cites Shenzhen's supply chain, raw materials, and access to young talent as key advantages. Today, DJI is the world's leading drone manufacturer.
Other notable companies from Shenzhen include Ping An Insurance, China Merchants Bank, SF Express, Luxshare Precision, ZTE, and Transsion.
By 2025, Shenzhen's GDP is projected to reach 3.8731 trillion yuan, approximately 14,345 times that of 1980. Its GDP is comparable to that of Austria, Thailand, and Vietnam. Shenzhen's resident population is about 18.24 million, and its trade volume with foreign countries has reached 4.5 trillion yuan, maintaining the highest export volume among mainland Chinese cities for 33 consecutive years.
Interestingly, Shenzhen's transformation is far from over. What began as a manufacturing hub has evolved into a center for electronics, which has expanded into internet and telecommunications industries, and now into advanced sectors like AI, new energy, drones, and robotics. Shenzhen's innovation continues to attract businesses, investors, technologists, and entrepreneurs from around the globe.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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