Shenzhen is a sprawling megacity on China's southern coast, directly across the border from Hong Kong. Transformed from a fishing town of about 30,000 people into a metropolis of over 17 million in four decades, it is China's original Special Economic Zone and the country's leading technology hub, home to Tencent, Huawei, DJI, and thousands of electronics manufacturers.
Before 1979 the area now covered by Shenzhen was a scattering of Hakka and Cantonese fishing villages and market towns in Bao'an County, bordering the British-administered New Territories of Hong Kong. In 1980 the Chinese government designated Shenzhen the country's first Special Economic Zone, using it as a testing ground for market reforms and foreign investment. Explosive migration and manufacturing growth through the 1980s-2000s turned the fishing villages into a city of over 17 million people, and since the 2010s Shenzhen has rebranded itself as a global hub for electronics, telecommunications, and technology innovation, home to companies such as Huawei, Tencent, and DJI. Traces of the pre-1979 landscape survive in walled Hakka villages, Ming and Qing coastal forts, and a handful of preserved ancient towns scattered among the skyscrapers.
Historical timeline
Key moments that shaped Shenzhen.
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1
Dapeng Fortress is built during the Ming dynasty to defend the southern China coast against pirate raids.
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2
Xin'an County (covering present-day Shenzhen and Hong Kong) is established with its seat at Nantou.
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3
Britain leases the New Territories from Qing China, splitting Xin'an County and creating the border that still separates Shenzhen from Hong Kong.
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4
Bao'an County government relocates to the small border market town of Shenzhen.
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5
Shenzhen is upgraded from a county town to a city under Guangdong province.
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6
Shenzhen is officially designated China's first Special Economic Zone on August 26, opening it to foreign investment.
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7
Deng Xiaoping's Southern Tour publicly reaffirms Shenzhen's reform model, accelerating investment and development.
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8
Shenzhen becomes the first city in mainland China to fully urbanize, with no remaining registered rural land.
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9
Shenzhen's GDP surpasses that of Hong Kong for the first time.
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10
Beijing names Shenzhen a 'pilot demonstration zone' for socialism with Chinese characteristics, deepening its role as a national reform model.
Historical eras
The chapters of Shenzhen's past.
Fishing Village and Frontier County Era
The region was part of Bao'an County, a rural area of Hakka and Cantonese fishing villages, salt pans, and market towns along the Pearl River estuary, with defensive forts built during the Ming and Qing dynasties to guard against piracy and, later, colonial incursion.
Special Economic Zone Founding
In 1979 Shenzhen was elevated to city status and in August 1980 formally designated China's first Special Economic Zone under Deng Xiaoping's reform program, opening the area to foreign investment and market-oriented experimentation not yet permitted elsewhere in the country.
Manufacturing Boom
Cheap land, tax incentives, and proximity to Hong Kong drew factories and migrant workers by the million, transforming Shenzhen into one of the world's largest manufacturing and export-processing centers and driving the city's population from roughly 30,000 to over 10 million.
Technology Hub Era
Shenzhen shifted from low-cost manufacturing toward technology, finance, and design, becoming headquarters to firms such as Tencent, Huawei, DJI, and BYD, and is now frequently described as China's answer to Silicon Valley.
Historical sites
Places where Shenzhen's past comes alive.
Dapeng Fortress Ancient City
Where: Longgang District
Admission: ¥20 (~$3) adult
Nantou Ancient City
Where: Nanshan District
Admission: Free
Chiwan Tianhou Temple
Where: Nanshan District
Admission: ¥10 (~$1)
Chiwan Fort
Where: Nanshan District
Admission: Free
Hehu New Weilongwu (Hakka Walled Village)
Where: Longgang District
Admission: Free to view exterior; interior museum ¥10 (~$1) when open
Dawan Ancient Village (Luo Family Weilongwu)
Where: Dapeng New District
Admission: Free
Zhong Ying Street (Sha Tau Kok)
Where: Yantian District
Admission: Free to enter with a valid border permit obtained in advance
Shenzhen Special Economic Zone History Exhibition Hall
Where: Futian District
Admission: Free (bring passport to register at entrance)
Dongjiang Column Memorial Hall
Where: Yantian District
Admission: Free
Xin'an Ancient City Ruins
Where: Nanshan District
Admission: Free