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From the Generation 8.5 LCD panel to the first
Generation 11 line to the second Generation 11 line launched this year,
Shenzhen China Star Optoelectronics Technology Co., Ltd. (CSOT),
starting from LCD panels, is making strides towards creating ultra HD
and printed OLED panels of higher grades and bigger size, thus taking
“Made in Shenzhen” to an even higher level.
Sticking to the spirit of “driving nails”, “Made in
Shenzhen” continues to make persistent and long-term efforts to move
forward. It is precisely the city’s desirable environment for innovation
and entrepreneurship that encourages local manufacturers like Huawei,
CSOT, CIMC, Skyworth and DJI-Innovations to make innovations, experiment
with new concepts and upgrade themselves, all of which has laid a
substantial economic foundation for a stronger and better “Made in
Shenzhen” with comparative advantages.
In fact, the sound and steady development of
Shenzhen’s economy has benefited from the longstanding growth of the
real economy represented by industrial production. From January to May
this year, the added value of industrial enterprises above a designated
size in Shenzhen was 312.122 billion yuan, an increase of 8.7%, among
which the manufacturing of communications equipment, computers and other
electronic devices increased by 11.6%.
A world-class advanced manufacturing cluster
By adopting supply-side structural reform and
improved quality of supply and efficiency as the main tasks, Shenzhen,
following the guidelines for high-quality development, is building
itself into a national-level advanced manufacturing demonstration area,
promoting the close integration of manufacturing with new technologies,
new businesses and new modes, and accelerating the process of high-end,
intelligent, service-oriented and green manufacturing.
An official at the Economic, Trade and Information
Commission of Shenzhen Municipality noted that this year the city has
built a pilot cluster for advanced manufacturing and formulated a trial
scheme for development of a next-generation information and
communications cluster. This is part of efforts to create a distinctive
world-class next-generation information and communications cluster, with
complete systems, close synergy and strong competitiveness, while
promoting the construction of a number of intelligent manufacturing
demonstration plants and creating national and provincial intelligent
manufacturing pilot demonstration projects.
Notably, Shenzhen is carrying out a new round of
key projects to cultivate and introduce engineering projects. This is
especially evident in its embrace of the opportunity to create a
national-level advanced manufacturing demonstration area, while striving
to launch key projects at national and provincial levels. It is also
focusing on leading industries like next-generation information
technology to build a world-class advanced manufacturing cluster.
In May, Shenzhen added another brilliant milestone
to its list of key major industrial projects: an ultra HD new display
device Generation 11 production line was launched in Guangming New Area.
The line can process about 90,000 sheets of 3,370mm*2,940mm glass
substrates per month and was built with a total investment of about
42.683 billion yuan. This project, which is a preemptive move targeting
the large-size, ultra HD panel market and to gain a greater
international voice, is invested by TCL, CSOT and Shenzhen Fund for
Major Industrial Development and scheduled to start commercial
production in March 2021.
Highlighting advanced manufacturing technology
Shenzhen is making every effort to work towards
high-end manufacturing. So far, the city is planning to build 10
manufacturing innovation centers in emerging industries ranging from 5G,
new displays, integrated circuits, robotics, additive manufacturing,
graphene, new energy vehicles, aerospace equipment to offshore
engineering equipment and precision medical treatment.
Innovation centers for terahertz, graphene,
micro-nano manufacturing and intelligent marine engineering have been
put on the list with a focus on fulfilling the task of building 10
centers. This will help achieve breakthroughs in core technologies,
speed up the construction of industrial clusters, and foster a number of
10 or 100 billion-level industrial clusters to help Shenzhen build
international technical and industrial innovation centers.
Advanced manufacturing and high-tech manufacturing
have performed well. Statistics show that in the first five months of
this year, Shenzhen's advanced manufacturing and high-tech manufacturing
created an added value of 215.224 billion yuan and 200.545 billion
yuan, respectively, an increase of 11.9% and 11.4%, and accounted for
69.0% and 64.3% of the added value of industrial enterprises above a
designated size.
The “Blue Book of Big Data – Annual Report on
Development of Big Data in China No.2”, compiled by a key big data
laboratory and published by the Social Sciences Academic Press, was
unveiled on May 28 with Shenzhen ranked No.1 in the big data development
index.
The blue book, which evaluated 31 Chinese key
cities (excluding four municipalities and Lhasa), highlighted that China
is currently bolstering development of big data through breakthrough
innovation and application of big data, which is playing a bigger role
in improving state governance, enhancing public services, and boosting
economic transformation and innovation-oriented development. The big
data industry has been transformed to become a new driver and source of
growth for economic and social development.
The “Development of Big Data in China No.2”
continued its evaluation of the cities’ application of big data in the
fields of politics, commerce and civilian use. Shenzhen, Guangzhou,
Wuhan, Hangzhou, Nanjing, Chengdu, Guiyang, Qingdao, Ningbo and Xiamen
were named the top 10 cities, according to the ranking that evaluated 31
Chinese key cities in 2017.
Guangdong, Beijing, Zhejiang, Shanghai, Jiangsu,
Shandong, Guizhou, Tianjin, Chongqing and Fujian were the top 10
provincial-level regions.
The 2017 index outperformed that in 2016, with an
average score of 32.47, up 25% from 25.98 in 2016. Among the 31 cities,
16 saw their scores remain above the average level. In terms of score
distribution, Shenzhen only led the other cities by a small margin in
2017, just as it did in 2016, indicating that cities are closing the gap
in their big data development.
The blue book showed that Shenzhen and Guangzhou
led other Chinese key cities in big city development, with Shenzhen
ranking No.1 and performing well across all indicators. The city took a
big lead in the development of the digital economy and ranking No.1 in
commercial and civilian applications. However, Shenzhen saw a big
decline in the political application ranking coming in at 7th.
Meanwhile, political application of big data still
plays the largest role, while commercial application is just beginning
to take effect. However, civilian applications have yet to give a strong
boost to big data development. Cities such as Shenzhen, where big data
development has been more rapid, saw their score in commercial
application rise above that of civilian application, indicating that
such cities have switched to focus on commercial application to boost
overall development.
This indicates that as big data development enters a
new phase, commercial applications will serve as a main driver, and big
data, as a new factor of production, has demonstrated its role of
driving innovation and providing a new impetus for development of the
digital economy and the upgrade of traditional industries.
The blue book suggests that only when more
supportive policies are rolled out will commercial use of big data be
able to boost development of big data in society.
Shenzhen
currently has 50 municipal-level startup incubator bases, 80% of which
have received investments from private companies and are highly
market-oriented. Shenzhen has issued a slew of preferential policies for
starting a business. Individuals and partnerships who start a business
can apply for a secured startup loan of up to RMB 300,000 and RMB 3
million, respectively.
The
Human Resources and Social Security Administration of Shenzhen
Municipality recently held a meeting to share experiences on startup
incubator bases and issued licenses to 34 municipal-level startup
incubator bases. These were the first startup incubator bases to be
certificated by the municipal government since Shenzhen issued Measures
on Administration of Startup Incubator Bases in May 2017. With the
inclusion of the existing 16 bases, there are now 50 municipal-level
startup incubator bases in Shenzhen.
Among
these, seven were established by colleges and universities and 43 were
established via private investment, indicating that over 80% of the
municipal-level startup incubator bases were invested by private
companies and highly market-oriented. In terms of regional distribution,
nearly all districts have at least one startup incubator base, with 10
in Futian District, three in Luohu District, 13 in Nanshan District, 9
in Baoan District, 9 in Longgang District, one in Longhua District,
three in Pingshan District and two in Guangming New District. Startups
in the areas of electromechanics, electronics, computers, logistics,
trade, e-commerce and culture and creativity have all joined these
bases.
In
recent years, Shenzhen has issued a wide range of preferential policies
for those wanting to start a business, including offering loans,
subsidies and guidance. Individuals and partnerships who start up a
business can apply for a secured loan of up to RMB 300,000 and RMB 3
million, respectively, and they can enjoy loans with discounted interest
for up to three years as well as subsidies to help pay for social
insurance, initial costs of starting a business, leasing office space,
and creating jobs.
In
2017, Shenzhen issued RMB 18.9897 million worth of subsidies for
starting a business and 552 individuals applied for subsidies to assist
with leasing office space. The public employment service center in
Shenzhen can assign tutors to these bases to answer questions on
business models, law and finance.
The
center will continue to certify municipal-level startup incubator bases
and evaluate existing certified bases. It will also certify municipal
and provincial-level startup incubator bases and those that receive
certification will get a subsidy of RMB 300,000 and RMB 500,000,
respectively.
On October 30th (“World Cities Day”) the Global Urban Competitiveness
Forum convened in Guangzhou. At the meeting, the National Academy of
Economic Strategy (NAES), Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) and
the UN–Habitat jointly released The Global Urban Competitiveness Report
2017-2018.
The Report states that Shenzhen ranks sixth in the "Economic
Competitiveness Ranking" after measuring the "Economic Competitiveness"
of 1007 cities in the world. Shanghai, Guangzhou and Beijing rank 14, 15
and 20 respectively.
Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou and Shenzhen not only have the most
prosperous buildings, the most diverse inclusiveness, but also are the
field of dreams for many people wanting to change their lives. "Economic
competitiveness" is the ranking for existing stocks, but for young
people, the incremental part (the future) is even more important. The
Report also provides an indicator for reference - "Sustainable
Competitiveness", which is the sustainability of global competitiveness
in the future.In the future rankings of Sustainable Competitiveness
(except for Beijing being higher than the indicators of Economic
Competitiveness) the sustainable competitiveness indicators of other
cities are lower than the rankings of their economic competitiveness and
Shenzhen ranks 35th in the world.
Technology and finance are dominating the global economy and
occupying the main part of global value chain, especially information
technology companies that are showing increasingly more influence.
Technological center cities are occupying an increasingly higher status
in the global city.
Taking into account factors such as the number of most valuable
brands from each city in 2017 and changes in the past ten years, the
Report also sets up the future Rankings of "New Global Cities". Among
the top 50 cities, Beijing, Shenzhen, Shanghai and Guangzhou are all
listed, but for "New Tier-A Cities", only Hangzhou makes the list.
The Tsinghua SEM
Internet Development and Governance Research Center jointly released the
Digital Transformation in China's Economy: Talents and Employment
report. It shows that the number of digital talents in Shenzhen ranked
third in the country and Shenzhen's digital talents are mainly clustered
in Internet and communications companies. Digital talents refer to not only those with ICT
(Information and Communications Technology) expertise, but also those
cross-disciplinary talents with expertise for the complementation and
coordination of information technology.
From the perspective of digital transformation
in terms of the value chain, digital talents are mainly divided into six
categories: digital strategy management, in-depth analysis, product
development, advanced manufacturing, digital operating and digital
marketing personnel. This study screened 720,000 digital talents by
gathering user portraits from multiple dimensions and tracking their
career paths.
The report found that the distribution of
digital talents in China shows a high degree of consistency with the
development of the digital economy. Large cities with the most digital
talents in descending order are: Shanghai, Beijing, Shenzhen, Guangzhou,
Hangzhou, Chengdu, Suzhou, Nanjing, Wuhan and Xi'an, with Shenzhen
ranking third in the country.
In terms of mobility, unlike the phenomenon of
"leaving Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou" which has been frequently
reported in recent years, the mobility of digital talents shows a trend
of congregating in first-tier cities. Shanghai and Shenzhen are the
cities with the greatest influx of digital talents in the past three
years.
ANOTHER
milestone was reached for Shenzhen to become an international
innovation hub Tuesday when Shenzhen's seven overseas innovation centers
were inaugurated, the Shenzhen Economic Daily reported.
The seven overseas innovation centers in San Francisco, Boston,
Seattle, London, Evelyn, Tel Aviv and Toronto are the first batch of the
city's overseas institutions.
All seven overseas innovation centers were located in places
recognized around the world for their innovation resources. The centers
were jointly built by high-tech companies and research institutions in
Shenzhen, like the Research Institute of Tsinghua University in
Shenzhen, BGI and Tian'an Cyber Park.
One of the overseas centers was co-founded by the Research
Institute of Tsinghua University in Shenzhen and Leaguer Group Co. Ltd.
in San Francisco. The center is located in the bay area, where the
world's top technology talents and corporations, including Intel, Apple,
Google and Tesla, are gathered.
The two Shenzhen-based institutions will work with local incubators
in San Francisco and Silicon Valley, namely Read Write Lab and Plug and
Play, to build a team to operate the innovation center.
Emphasizing artificial intelligence (AI), IOT and health, this
particular overseas innovation center will make use of foreign
technology media outlets to promote Shenzhen's innovative corporations
to the world stage and at the same time, introduce more international
brands back home.
Moreover, the overseas center is going to use a special foundation to support cross-border projects to settle in Shenzhen.
Another Shenzhen company is responsible for building the overseas
innovation center in Tel Aviv. The company has already come to
agreements with Trendlines Group and a high-tech college in Israel to
jointly maintain the center and incubate projects in the areas of
biomedical, security, AI, drones and robots.
One of the key aspects of fulfilling the city's goal of becoming an
international technology and innovation hub is building 10 overseas
innovation centers. A plan has been mapped out by the municipal
government at the beginning of this year to achieve the goal.
According to the plan, Shenzhen will build overseas innovation
centers in the United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany, Belgium,
Israel, Canada and other countries and areas that have innovation
resources during the 13th Five-Year Plan. The innovation centers are
expected to take shape by 2020.
The Intellectual Property Office of Shenzhen Municipality recently
held the "Intellectual Property Policy and Patent Insurance Products
Seminar." Reporters learned that, over the years, in Shenzhen the
business of protecting intellectual property has made sustained and
rapid development, while the city has consistently led the nation across
a number of intellectual property indicators. The Intellectual Property
Office of Shenzhen Municipality and Ping An Property & Casualty
Insurance Company of China, Ltd., have also made some recent progress on
the types of insurance products they have jointly developed.
In 2016, the number of patent applications handled by the city
maintained stable growth, with the total number reaching more than
145,000. The cumulative number of valid invention patents were more than
95,000, or 80.1 for every 10,000 people, which is 10 times the national
average, ranking Shenzhen first nationwide among major cities. PCT
patent applications were over 19,000, accounting for about half of the
total number of applications nationwide. At the 18th China Patent
Awards, the city won four gold awards, with that tally ranking it second
among the nation’s major cities nationally. As of the end of 2016, the
city has won 27 China gold patent awards.
Chen Mingang, director of the Intellectual Property Office of
Shenzhen Municipality, briefed the seminar on the work of intellectual
property rights in Shenzhen and the demonstration work on patent
insurance. He said that intellectual property has once again become a
hot topic in industry, academia and society since the central government
put forward an innovation-driven development strategy and the goal of
building the country into an innovation powerhouse. The State Council
has successively issued the Several Opinions on Accelerating the
Construction of a Powerful Nation in Regards to Intellectual Property
Rights Under the New Situation and the 13th Five-year Plan for the
Protection of Intellectual Property Rights and Utilization Scheme, both
of which clearly propose to "strictly protect intellectual property
rights and strengthen the use of intellectual property rights."
In 2013, Shenzhen was named as one of the second batch of national
patent insurance pilot areas. In August 2016, Shenzhen was assessed by
the State Intellectual Property Office as being among the first batch of
the nation’s patent insurance model cities. Since the pilot
demonstration, the Intellectual Property Office of Shenzhen Municipality
has taken effective measures to achieve a certain degree of work
effectiveness, which was affirmed by the State Intellectual Property
Office. In order to effectively promote the demonstration work of patent
insurance, the Intellectual Property Office of Shenzhen Municipality
has also developed a Patent Insurance Demonstration Work Program.
During the week of the World Intellectual Property Day on April 26,
the Intellectual Property Office of Shenzhen Municipality and Ping
An Property & Casualty Insurance signed a patent insurance strategic
cooperation agreement.
Under the agreement, the two sides will jointly
explore launching patent insurance policy research, promoting patent
insurance products, creating innovative patent insurance products,
exploring the construction of a patent insurance service system and the
establishment of an intellectual property risk control and
decentralization mechanism, increasing patent insurance training and
intensifying publicity efforts.
The two sides, through the optimization
of patent insurance products as well as insurance service and business
models, will build a Shenzhen intellectual property risk management
service platform. And during the patent insurance demonstration period,
the Intellectual Property Office of Shenzhen Municipality together with
Ping An Property & Casualty Insurance were the first in the country
to develop a new type of patent insurance - "patent infringement loss
insurance."
Chen Mingang believes that the cooperation between the two sides is
based on the outstanding performance and reputation of Ping An Property
& Casualty Insurance’s business and the responsibility assumed by
Shenzhen in carrying out work on intellectual property. "Of course, the
city's patent insurance work is still in the exploratory stage, with the
current main areas of focus as the following: the varieties of patent
insurance are relatively few and options available to businesses are
small in scope, while market demand has not yet been fully tapped; some
companies do not truly realize the value of patent insurance, and
consider it as an operating cost; also, patent insurance needs to be
better publicized.”
Shenzhen is a major financial market, with banking, insurance and
other segments relatively well developed. The financial industry,
including the insurance sector, is one of the four pillar industries in
Shenzhen. To achieve protection of intellectual property rights as well
as insurance pairing and cooperation, the city must play to its
inevitable advantages. It is also an opportunity to strengthen
Shenzhen’s intellectual property rights and insurance industries.
GLOBAL consultancy firm PwC headquartered its
China Center of Excellence in Shenzhen's Qianhai yesterday, aiming to
provide innovative solutions, sophisticated technology and business
insights to Qianhai firms as well as those in the rest of Shenzhen and
the broader China market.
Saying that the center is the first of its kind that PwC has
established globally, Elton Yeung, strategy and innovation service
leader of PwC's China division, hopes their creativity, insights and
education programs will help establish Qianhai as an industrial and
financial innovation hub. The center has plans to educate young
entrepreneurs, help incubate startups, and offer innovative solutions on
financial security, cyber security, smart offices and e-commerce.
"Considering its location, preferential policies, infrastructure
and talents, we have high hopes for Qianhai's future development," Yeung
told reporters after a signing ceremony where PwC reached a strategic
cooperation framework agreement with Shenzhen Qianhai Financial Holding
Co.
"We hope to use our expertise and resources to help Qianhai find
its mode of development both in innovation and finance," said Yeung. “To
be specific, we will help more overseas financial firms establish a
presence in Qianhai and also help Qianhai firms go global."
PwC will leverage its global network to help Qianhai Financial
fulfil its development strategy by attracting outstanding local and
overseas financial enterprises, Yeung said. PwC will also provide
advisory services, carry out research for financial services firms in
Qianhai and provide innovative solutions to help establish a new
financial services model in Qianhai, according to Li Qiang, chairman of
Qianhai Financial.
The center is an important step PwC is taking to transform itself
from a firm focused on auditing, assurance, tax and consulting services
to a multi-field service provider, according to Yeung.
"The China Center of Excellence is an integral part of PwC's
development blueprint for China and will boost the ecosystem of Qianhai,
said Raymund Chao, chairman of PwC's China division. "Helping Qianhai's
development as an international industrial innovation hub also helps us
fulfill our purpose of building trust in society and solving important
problems."
TO build the
Sino-U.K. financial and tech town, Qianhai signed a strategic
cooperation framework agreement with British Canary Wharf Group plc. and
China Bridge Capital at 10 Downing Street on Friday.
The
agreement said that the three parties would establish the town in
Qianhai and promote the development of finance, technology and other
modern services in the area, creating a global financial industry
complex and a financial ecosystem.
This move
aims to enhance the economic and trade cooperation between China and the
U.K. and implement the requirement given by Shenzhen Party chief Xu Qin
to deepen the cooperation between Chinese and U.K. enterprises in
financial innovation.
Ahead of
signing the agreement, the Qianhai delegation, which was led by Tian Fu,
director of the Qianhai-Shekou Pilot Free Trade Area Authority, visited
the Canary Wharf Group, where its chief executive, Sir George
Iacobescu, introduced the development and operation of Canary Wharf.
Canary
Wharf is a major business district located in Tower Hamlets, East
London. It is one of the U.K.'s two main financial centers and is the
harbor of many world-famous headquarters, such as Credit Suisse, HSBC,
Infosys, J.P. Morgan and Morgan Stanley.
The
delegation also met the Deputy Mayor of London, Rajesh Agrawal,
officials of investment promotion and the HSBC management to discuss
building an HSBC regional headquarters in Qianhai.
INDUSTRIAL designers and manufacturers in Shenzhen
are expected to have easier access to German resources as the city
partnered with Berlin on industrial design at the Ninth China (Shenzhen)
International Design Festival, which opened at the Bao'an Public
Library on Friday and ends tomorrow.
Themed "Creating and Sharing the Future," the five-day event
features designers from Germany, Sweden, Scotland and China sharing
their experiences in the areas of artificial intelligence, robots, 3-D
printing and personalized digital fabrication at forums, workshops and
exhibitions.
Visitors were awed by elegant designs and fine craftsmanship of
everyday practical items — such as watches, glasses, lamps, pens, and an
array of ceramic and glass ware — on display at the "Handmade in
Germany" section.
German designer, Matthias Philipp, said that the products, all
handcrafted in Germany with very limited production, were made by small
family-run companies who are very interested in coming to China.
Design is very relevant for all of us and we want to show the
German designs, designers and our design tradition. That's why we came
to promote our products to the Chinese people, to give them the
possibility to learn about our designers' tactics and the process
behind," he said.
Philipp, who signed the cooperation deal with SIDA as the manager
of Direktorenhaus Berlin and visited the city's industrial design fair
last month, said that he found a lot of interesting designs by young
Chinese designers and thinks the city has very good and innovative
ideas.
Katrin Buchta, German consul-general in Guangzhou, introduced the
strategy of the German Government's policy on "Industrial 4.0" at a
forum Friday.
“There are a lot of factories in China that don't use robots or
high-level computers to organize production, I think in this respect,
China can learn from Germany and Germany's strategy of Industry 4.0 —
how to introduce automation and digitalization into production process,"
Buchta said.
"But it's not just China learning from Germany — in some areas China is at the top of the world," she said.
Eight maker groups gave road shows at the festival, with programs
on intelligent hardware, wearable devices, smart electronic products and
robots.
Shirley Feng, secretary general of SIDA, said that the festival
"bridges" local and German designers. "We hope that their designers
inspire us to improve our own designs, and that this occasion may create
more opportunities for cooperation."
A TOTAL of
275 Fortune 500 companies have so far invested and set up offices in
Shenzhen, setting a new record for the city’s work of investment
promotion, announced Wang Youming, director of Invest Shenzhen, on
Thursday afternoon.
Wang made
the announcement at the 2016 Shenzhen Major Investment Promotion
Projects Signing Ceremony at the Civic Center ahead of the signing of 31
major projects for cooperation between the Shenzhen Municipal
Government and companies from all around the globe in multiple areas
including high-tech, Internet, finance, life health and so forth.
The director concluded that 2016 was a fruitful year for Shenzhen in terms of trades and investment.
“This
year, many Fortune 500 companies have settled their branches in
Shenzhen. For example, the operating center of Apple Inc. in southern
China, the Shenzhen innovation center of Qualcomm and the Internet
laboratory of Microsoft entered the city this year,” said Wang.
Besides
the signing of the 31 major projects, an array of awards were given to
outstanding investment projects, industrial parks and institutions at
Thursday's signing ceremony.
Ten
cooperative projects initiated by both domestic and overseas companies
received awards for settling and investing in Shenzhen as the 2016
Shenzhen Annual Excellent Projects for Investment Promotion.
These
award-winning projects included the Intel (U.S.) China Smart Device
Innovation Fund project, the ABB (Switzerland) New Energy and Power
Protection Operations R&D and Manufacturing projects, the Qualcomm
(U.S.) Shenzhen Innovation Center project, the Microsoft (U.S.) IoT
Laboratory project and so on.
Another 10
institutions including the Industry 4.0 Alliance, Hungary Innovation
and Technology Center and France SALVEO Group were awarded as excellent
institutions for global investment promotion.
According
to Wang, the city initiated a "NEST Strategy" to attract investment from
all around the world at the beginning of this year and the outcome
seemed to satisfy everyone.
The bureau
has higher aims for next year. "Looking forward to 2017, we will
promote many cutting-edge industries and advanced business models, such
as next-generation communication networks, artificial intelligence,
new-energy automobiles and precision medicine, so we welcome all of
these companies to Shenzhen," said Wang.
SHENZHEN
was ranked third on China's Cities Creative Index (CCCI) during the 2016
Shenzhen Management Innovation Dialogue Forum on Saturday, the Daily
Sunshine reported.
CCCI is
the first intercity index in China evaluating the competitiveness of the
cultural industry, and this year is the fifth that the index has been
released.
The top 10
cities on the 2016 ranking are as follows: Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen,
Guangzhou, Hangzhou, Suzhou, Tianjin, Nanjing, Qingdao and Wuhan.
One of the
main researchers for the CCCI, Zhou Zhimin of Shenzhen University, said
the evaluating model of CCCI incorporates four sections, examining the
extent of factor-driving, demand-pull, developmental support and
industrial impact of different cities.
In order
to expand the research coverage, 50 large- and medium-sized cities in
China were included in the study. As a result, Zhou said that the
conclusion will facilitate the comparison between China's cities from
various perspectives, thus enhancing the improvement of policies in
order to boost the competitiveness of cultural industries in those
cities.
Zhou also
pointed out the unbalanced regional development of the cultural industry
that was revealed by the research. Seven out of the 10 top-ranking
cities are located in eastern and southern China, while Wuhan, a Central
China city, made it onto the top list for the first time this year.
CCCI's
ranking is closely connected with cities' level of economic development,
showing the development of the cultural industry remarkably boosts the
economy of the city.
Some other
statistics indicate that Shenzhen has both strengths and weaknesses in
the development of its cultural industry. It outnumbers other cities in
China on the per capita possession of public books and the number of
received tourists.
However, with the ninth-highest disposable
income per capita in China, Shenzhen only ranks 46th in the proportion
of cultural consumption to overall consumption.
FINTECH
Pioneering Zone in Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong Fund Town and Shenzhen
FinTech Building were inaugurated during the opening ceremony of the
2016 China Shenzhen FinTech Summit, which was held at the Wuzhou Guest
House in Futian District yesterday.
High-quality
offices and facilities will be offered to FinTech companies in the
FinTech Pioneering Zone, while Shenzhen FinTech Building, located in the
Shenzhen High-tech Industrial Park in Nanshan District, will set up the
city's first incubator for FinTech startups, according to the summit's
organizers.
The
summit, attended by over 300 guests consisting of academics, government
officials and professionals from the financial sector, was hosted by the
city government and co-organized by the Shenzhen Financial Industry
Development and Service Office and the Qianhai Authority.
“New
technologies are not only beefing up the traditional financial industry,
but also expediting the emergence of new business forms in the
financial sector," said Ai Xuefeng, Shenzhen's vice mayor, in a speech
at the summit's opening ceremony.
Wu
Xiaoqiu, vice president of Renmin University of China, said China is
outpacing many other countries in the world regarding the application of
financial technologies, and China's fast-growing Internet finance is
changing the country's financial industry in many aspects.
"The
technology era of the financial industry has arrived, which will
diversify the financial industry in China," Wu said, adding that people
should be aware of technology's positive impact on the financial
industry and also be wary of the risks of Internet finance due to its
lack of transparency.
Yao
Yudong, chief economist of Dacheng Fund Management Co. Ltd., read out
the initiative for establishing China Shenzhen FinTech Digital Currency
League and China Shenzhen FinTech Research Institute during the opening
ceremony.
He said that the league and the institute, aimed
at promoting the innovation and combination of finance and technology,
will both be located in Qianhai Shenzhen-Hong Kong Modern Service
Industry Cooperation Zone.
A TOTAL of
109 innovative measures practiced in Qianhai-Shekou pilot free trade
zone (Qianhai-Shekou FTZ) last year were released Thursday at its first
press briefing of 2017, showcasing the soon-to-be southern financial
hub’s healthy momentum and potential for providing more well-tested
measures to the rest of the country.
The FTZ
authority said the area generated 24 innovative measures last year to
support easier investment, 31 measures to facilitate trade, 26 practices
regarding financial innovation, four new modes of Guangdong-Hong Kong
cooperation, 10 supervision practices to ensure the government,
enterprises and finance, e-commerce, trade and information factors are
all on the right track, and 11 trials to improve the legal environment.
Among
those practices, the authority said that by integrating and simplifying
the administrative services for international trade, arranging trade,
logistics, information and capital into one channel, carrying out
cross-border yuan transactions, utilizing the Internet for online tax
services, arbitration and other legal matters, and following the
negative list system, the FTZ will create a sound business environment
for enterprises.
According
to Fu Zhengping, deputy director of the Institute of Free Trade Zone of
Sun Yat-sen University, the institution gave the highest score to the
FTZ for its institutional innovation for investment and the
transformation of government functions.
Tian Fu,
director of Qianhai-Shekou FTZ Authority, said that nine of the
innovative measures in the FTZ made it on the list of the national
innovative practices, which was released in November. He also said that
those measures have successfully saved time and money for Qianhai
enterprises, and helped them reduce or remit tax totalling 660 million
yuan (US$96 million) in 2016.
"To
continue pioneering innovation, we will build a policy-making platform
to connect State departments and local departments, an innovative
platform for enterprises, a platform for Shenzhen and Hong Kong's
cooperative innovation and a think tank in 2017," Tian said.
He also
revealed that Qianhai will build a two-way channel for free trade,
commodity circulation, investment and innovation between Shenzhen and
Hong Kong.
Zeng
Yijing, director of the Shenzhen office of Hong Kong Trade Development
Council, has been saying over the past few years that Hong Kong joined
hands with Qianhai to promote bilateral cooperation, and innovative
measures will continue to be made.
"In the
future I hope to see more interaction between the two cities. Besides
attracting more Hong Kong companies, I would love to see more leading
companies in Qianhai set up R&D centers in Hong Kong to create a
better talent circulation," Zeng added.
Since the
establishment of the FTZ, 208 innovative measures have been made, 67 of
which were firsts in China and 37 have been adopted by other places in
Guangdong.
SHENZHEN was
officially inaugurated as a French Tech Hub yesterday, the first city
in China to be announced by the French Government as a French Tech Hub.
Shenzhen
and nine other cities around the world were officially declared as
French Tech Hubs on Thursday by French Prime Minister Manuel Valls.
Matthias
Fekl, French Secretary of State in charge of Foreign Trade, Tourism and
Overseas French, attended a meeting with the French tech community in
Shenzhen at HAX, a hardware accelerator in Huaqiangbei, to officially
inaugurate Shenzhen as a French Tech Hub.
"The
cooperation between France and China in terms of digital and emerging
technologies has huge potential," said Fekl. He said the world's biggest
startup incubator will be established in Paris next year, which will
have the capacity to cater to 1,000 startups.
According
to Fekl, the French Government has also launched a program called French
Tech Ticket to help foreign startups get placed in 41 French startup
incubators for free.
He said 2,700 companies including 45 Chinese
startups have applied to join the program this year, which is double the
number from last year
A DELEGATION
led by the governor of the U.S. State of Michigan, Rick Snyder, and the
mayor of Detroit, Mike Duggan, visited the 18th China Hi-Tech Fair
(CHTF), which opened yesterday, and signed a Memorandum of Understanding
for economic partnership with Shenzhen's Party chief Ma Xingrui and
Mayor Xu Qin.
The
signing of the MOU symbolized that Shenzhen and the State of Michigan,
especially Detroit, will have closer ties with each other in such fields
as technological innovation, trade and autonomous vehicle development.
A Michigan-Shenzhen Innovation Center will soon be set up in Michigan.
"I believe
it [Michigan-Shenzhen Innovation Center] is going to be a good gateway.
There are innovative, young companies and entrepreneurs working back
and forth between Shenzhen and Michigan," said the governor during an
interview at the Shenzhen Convention and Exhibition Center after the
fair was officially opened yesterday morning.
The
officials from both countries also witnessed two other deals signed
yesterday. One of the deals was a project to cultivate innovative
talents from the Beijing Institute of Collaborative Innovation, Southern
University of Science and Technology, and University of Michigan.
Another
project was an agreement that a Shenzhen-based foundation of advanced
high-tech industries will invest US$27 million to support the University
of Michigan's R&D in intellectual vehicles.
In return,
researchers from the University of Michigan will provide suggestions
and plans, including the recently launched project called Planet M, for
Shenzhen's autonomous vehicle industry, and help to test the vehicles
made by Shenzhen automakers.
Talking
about the ties between Shenzhen and Detroit, Duggan said that there is a
convergence going on between the two cities, particularly in
intelligent, autonomous, and connected vehicles.
"A hundred
years ago, Detroit was the center of innovation and we are very excited
to be now establishing ourselves as the center of the next generation
for manufacturing. So we want to take latest research technology and be
the place of pioneers," said Duggan.
Snyder,
who has visited China six times since beginning his tenure as Michigan
governor, said that Detroit can learn a lot from Shenzhen.
"Detroit
is now one of the top five cities in America that attracts the
millennial. Young people are coming to Detroit in an amazing number. We
are building 5,000 housing units right now and the mayor in Shenzhen
told us they are going to build 400,000. In Detroit, we are building for
the first time in 50 years, so there's much that we can learn from
Shenzhen," said the Governor.
At the
State of Michigan's exhibition booth, eleven companies from the State
were prepared to introduce and explain their projects, which were mainly
advanced technology and intelligent vehicles, to local visitors and
other exhibitors from all around the world.
FOR the
first time, makers from a global maker space network are meeting in a
Chinese city for an annual gathering dedicated to promoting technologies
for innovation in an age when personalized production is the trend.
FAB12, the
12th annual meeting of the global Fab Lab community, kicked off its
10-day event in Shenzhen yesterday. A slew of activities, including
workshop creations, project road shows and symposiums, will be held in
the upcoming days with the participation of about 2,000 members from Fab
Lab networks, including scientists and technicians from 55 countries.
According
to the theme, "Fabricating the Future," this year's meeting not only
shares the technologies and tools necessary for innovation, but also
outlines a new direction for spreading the impact of innovation to help
build a better society: humanitarian aid for refugees.
This week,
celebrated scientists and entrepreneurs will share their ideas during
22 forums covering topics ranging from gene modification, smart
hardware, and unmanned vehicles, to maker space operation and more. Some
of the speakers include Fab Lab's founder Neil Gershenfeld, global
supply chain leader PCH International's co-founder and CEO Liam Casey,
British engineer and the inventor of the first open-source
self-replicating 3-D printer Adrian Bowyer, planetary physicist and
NASA's Kennedy Space Center retiree Dr. Philip Metzger, the youngest
robot-maker Saarang Sumesh, and the founder of the new Rossums studio
Jonathan M. Ledgard.
Makers
will visit the Hua-qiangbei commercial area, the city's maker spaces,
maker accelerators, and manufacturing and design enterprises. In
addition, several open-day events will be held, so the public can have
closer contact with the latest innovations.
Product
release Friday will see a number of new products from makers, such as
the brain-controlled automobile, interactive games, a light box with
emotion sensors, a high-precision desktop robot, a new 3-D printing
machine, and a water-saving irrigation system.
Gershenfeld,
who is also director of the Center for Bits and Atoms (CBA) at
Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), sees the new role for
Shenzhen shifting from a traditional manufacturing leader to an
innovation center through the collaborations of global makers.
"There is a very important and central role for Shenzhen — helping the world go from consumers to creators," he said.
He added
that what is needed to realize the transition is a whole new kind of
technology for personal production on a global scale, which is different
from what people already have for mass production.
"Separate
maker spaces and hacker spaces are isolated, what's special about the
Fab Lab here is the network, so each Fab Lab is more valuable when a lab
connects a network … this meeting is the network meeting: it shares and
celebrates the strength of Shenzhen," he said.
Shirley
Feng, secretary general of the Shenzhen Industrial Design Profession
Association, said it's of great significance that Shenzhen is hosting
FAB12, because it will provide a platform to match Shenzhen's resources
with global maker spaces and networks, and to form connections that
support ordinary people in turning their ideas into reality.
Feng said her association is building Fab Lab
networks in a few residential communities in Futian and Longgang
districts and will expand the program throughout the city in the future.
THE Shenzhen
airport officially launched the use of e-lanes for departing travelers
Friday, as part of the first batch of airports in China to pilot the
service.
The
e-lanes, which are installed on the third floor of the airport at the
security check area of the international departure hall, enable
travelers to pass checks in 10 seconds, compared to the 45 seconds.
Qualified travelers flying with Shenzhen Airlines, China Southern Airlines, Air Asia and Tiger Airways can enjoy the e-service.
Chinese
mainland passport holders, mainland one-year multiple-entry travel
permit holders who have registered their fingerprints with local police,
and foreigners who hold e-passports and six-month or above China
residence permits and have registered their fingerprints on the police
system can apply to use the e-channels.
Qualified
foreigners who haven't registered biological information on the police
data system can register at the checkpoint office prior to using the
e-lanes. Fingerprinting and facial registration only requires around 2-3
minutes.
The
Shenzhen airport now has four e-lanes for inbound travelers and 2
e-lanes for outbound travelers. The e-lanes will reduce transit time for
passengers taking international and domestic flights, and prompt
airline companies to open more international routes in the city.
According
to the airport, it will open four e-lanes before the end of the year to
lay an attractive foundation for international aviation businesses.
In the
first half of the year, the Shenzhen airport served 1.06 million
passengers, a 33.9-percent increase over the same period last year.
In another
development, mainland passport holders can use e-lanes when leaving and
entering the mainland at Shenzhen checkpoints starting Friday.
Foreigners who hold six-month residence permits can use e-lanes at
checkpoints when they leave the mainland.
"Previously,
only travel permit holders could use e-lanes. Now, Chinese passport
holders can use e-lanes," said Xie Peixuan, a police officer with
Huanggang Checkpoint.
In the
first seven months of this year, Shenzhen checkpoints processed 137
million border-crossing travelers, an average of 645,000 a day.
THE
mayors of Shenzhen and Scotland's capital city Edinburgh on Wednesday
promised to expand their cooperation on the first anniversary of a joint
incubator project for creative exchange.
Speaking
at the anniversary event in Edinburgh, Donald Wilson, Lord Provost of
the City of Edinburgh, hailed the city-to-city links on both sides, and
looked forward to more cooperation in the creative, and information and
communication technology sectors, among others.
Shenzhen
Mayor Xu Qin said that during the visit his delegation had explored
opportunities for cooperation in more sectors in Edinburgh including
biotechnology and informatics, as well as culture and art, noting that
Shenzhen is China's first United Nations Organization for Education,
Science and Culture (UNESCO) City of Design and Edinburgh is the world's
first UNESCO City of Literature.
Three
companies from Shenzhen producing unmanned flying vehicles, medical
equipment, electronic products, and video games won separate recognition
at the Creative in Edinburgh Competition Awards organized by Edinburgh
Shenzhen Creative Exchange.
Two
memorandum of understandings were signed between the cities to finance
and support technology startups and make preparations to operate a
co-educational school for a minimum of 1,500 pupils in Shenzhen.
Incubators were jointly established in Edinburgh
and Shenzhen in September 2015 and May 2015 respectively with up to two
years of free incubation space as well as local support and business
advice to help local creative and tech companies explore the other
city's market.
APPLE has
decided to set up a research and development center in Shenzhen, its
second facility in China after Beijing, to focus on manufacturing and
software development.
The
announcement was made by Apple CEO Tim Cook during a meeting with
Shenzhen Party chief Ma Xingrui and Mayor Xu Qin on Tuesday. He is in
Shenzhen to attend the 2016 National Mass Innovation and
Entrepreneurship Week, which opened yesterday.
Premier Li Keqiang attended the opening ceremony of the week yesterday morning.
Around
100,000 people are developing software for Apple in Shenzhen currently,
said Cook, who rated the quality of Shenzhen software developers’
products as top in the world. He said
Shenzhen is a remarkable city with
a lot of talent from many different sectors and Apple planned to seize
the manpower advantage to increase investment on research.
China is
Apple's major overseas market. But iPhones are facing growing challenges
posed by Chinese competitors like Huawei, Oppo and Vivo. During his
visit to China in August, Cook unveiled Apple's first research center in
Beijing.
Shenzhen
is China's high-tech hub, investing a whopping 4.05 percent of its GDP
into research and development, and hosting a number of top tech firms
like Huawei and ZTE.
Cook said
he "couldn't wait" to come to Shenzhen for the seven-day innovation week
and was honored to be invited to attend the Global Entrepreneurial
Leaders Forum in the city.
He also said that there's no other place like Shenzhen to be the ideal city for hosting such a large-scale maker fair.
When
speaking of the key factors that lead to the success of makers, Cook
quoted the English idiom "Falling down seven times and get up eight" to
encourage makers to be persistent and not to give up on their dreams
easily.
Shenzhen
was the first Chinese city that Cook visited when he came more than two
decades ago and the city has changed tremendously over the two decades,
he said.
Cook
praised Shenzhen's leading roles in multiple areas, which in the CEO's
eyes, were a key factor making Shenzhen an extraordinary city.
"Apple has
been focusing on innovative products with advanced manufacturing skills
and I found many factories in Shenzhen have better skills than many
other places in the world, so as more of our new products come out, we
hire more employees here," said Cook.
Cook also
visited the Apple store near Window of the World in Nanshan District and
stopped by a Starbucks coffee on Xinwen Road in Futian.
Other industrial giants including Elon Musk,
Pony Ma, Jack Ma, Kai-fu Lee and many other key figures were invited to
the Global Entrepreneurial Leaders Forum that took place at Shenzhen Bay
Inno Park yesterday afternoon.
MORE
than 300 Shenzhen-based drone makers, including the well-known DJI, are
expanding their territories around the world, making the city the hub
of the world's civilian unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV).
"Shenzhen has become the distribution hub of the drone industry
around the globe. Seventy percent of the world's civilian drone market
share has been captured by the city and more than 300 local
manufacturers are working in the sector, generating more than 20 billion
yuan (US$3.2 billion) in sales, Yang Jincai, director of Shenzhen UAV
Industry Association, told the National Business Daily on Monday, one
day after the closing of the 5th Shenzhen International Intelligent
Transportation System and Location-based Services Expo.
About 110 manufacturers displayed more than 230 latest drones,
including fixed-wing drones, multi-propeller drones and even airships,
at the expo at the Shenzhen Convention and Exhibition Center from June
17 to 19.
According to Yang, 90 percent of the world's drone products,
especially UAVs produced for civilian customers, are manufactured in
Shenzhen and shipped around the globe.
As of December last year, the number of domestic enterprises
associated with manufacturing and R&D of civilian drones has
surpassed 400, with one in four making drones for agriculture and
farming.
Statistics from the Ministry of Agriculture estimated that the
occurrence area of crop diseases and insect pests will reach 3.7 million
square kilometers, and if one-third of the farmland is able to utilize
drones to fight pests, the market scale will reach 80 billion yuan.
According to Beijing-based iResearch Consulting Group, China's
drone industry market scale could rise to as high as 75 billion yuan in
the next decade.
RISING two places from 2015, Shenzhen became the
12th most expensive city in the world for expats, Mercer's annual survey
said Wednesday.
Hong Kong
has overtaken Angola's capital to become the costliest city. After
topping the Cost of Living report for three consecutive years, Luanda
was pipped by the Asian city in 2016, owing to a stronger Hong Kong
dollar.
Singapore
(4) remained steady while Tokyo (5) climbed six places. Shanghai (7) and
Beijing (10) follow. Seoul (15) and Guangzhou (18) dropped seven and
three spots, respectively.
The survey
by the Mercer consulting group compares the cost of over 200 items in
over 200 cities, including housing, food, transport and entertainment.
It takes
New York as its base for comparison and measures currency movements
against the dollar, which has appreciated significantly over the past
year.
"Generally
speaking, prices remained stable across the world," said Bruno
Rocquemont of Mercer France, attributing steep rises or falls in cities'
rankings chiefly to exchange rate fluctuations.
A strong
yen propelled Tokyo six places higher to become the world's fifth-most
expensive expat destination, behind Zurich and Singapore in third and
fourth place respectively.
The cost of living in several U.S. cities also rose on the back of the strong dollar.
Conversely,
cities in countries whose currencies have slumped became more
affordable, with Moscow recording one of the most spectacular price
slides, falling from 17th costliest city for expats to 67th.
Bottom of the table of 209 cities was Namibia's capital Windhoek.
Just across the border from Hong Kong
on the Chinese mainland, lies the first tier city of Shenzhen, where
around 15 million people live, work and entertain themselves.
Whether
visiting or living in Shenzhen, this article will introduce some of the
better scenic spots, historic sites and themed attractions. Shenzhen is
a sprawling city covering ten districts, so you’ll need to plan
carefully to make the most of your time – places to see are listed by
district to make this easier.
Depending on your expectations, you
may find some attractions quite touristy and possibly even tacky – but
that’s the nature of Chinese entertainment. Take time to look beyond
this, and you are likely to have some great experiences and get to
sample the unique and wonderful culture that China offers.
Getting around
The
well developed public transport system is both efficient and
inexpensive. Choose from taxis, private drivers, buses and the ever
expanding metro. Check out Getting around Shenzhen and Hong Kong Border Crossings,
for more detailed information. There are also handy maps on most street
corners, that although in Chinese will give you a good sense of your
location and direction.
Tip: if you have a VPN,
Google Maps shows streets in both English and Chinese. It’s a great
resource for showing taxi drivers where you want to go and for finding
your way around.
Finally, here you find the reviews of the best hotels in Shenzhen.
When to visit
Anytime
of the year is good for a visit to Shenzhen. The climate is the same as
sub tropical Hong Kong – mild winters and hot and humid summers.
Shopping malls and larger restaurants are all air conditioned, but a
mountain hike in 30 degrees might be better attempted in the cooler
months.
It rains more in the summer months between May and
September, but you’ll also experience days of clear blue skies to make
the most of your visit. You certainly won’t experience the pollution of
cities like Beijing and Shanghai, but the skies are hazier in the
cloudier, winter months.
Plan your visit carefully around the
times of Chinese festivals. Whilst many Chinese citizens leave Shenzhen
to return to their home towns, you may find travel arrangements
difficult. Hong Kong / Shenzhen borders are crowded and can be painfully
slow to cross. Public transport is busy and sometimes even
unattainable.
Street food in Shenzhen
How long to stay
For
short visits from Hong Kong, a couple of days will certainly give you a
taste of the city. If you want to visit two or three different
districts then you’ll struggle to see everything in a week.
If you
have a full tourist visa, you might be better spending a few days in
Shenzhen followed by a trip into the neighbouring provinces to see the
“real” China. Travel in China is relatively cheap, and high speed
trains, buses and internal flights can whisk you inland quickly to more
rural scenic areas of natural beauty.
A word on visas
You
will need a valid visa to enter Shenzhen or be eligible for a five day
VOA (visa on arrival) which can be obtained at the border. For more
information on visas check out our comprehensive guide here – Chinese Visa Applications
Nanshan District
Nanshan is in the south western area of
Shenzhen and is home to many of the city’s attractions, as well as many
of the technology businesses that have made the city famous. You could
easily spend two or three days here if you enjoy theme parks, shopping,
food and drink. The most popular attractions are listed below, but other
options include the Shenzhen Safari Park, Shenzhen Bay Boulevard and
Nantou Ancient Town Museum (currently closed for renovations). Sea World
1. Sea World
In
the quieter suburb of Shekou, you’ll find Sea World – a popular plaza –
not an aquarium as the name suggests. There are a lot of western and
European style restaurants, cafes and clubs. It’s also popular for its
imported German and Irish beers, and you’ll maybe feel at home in bars
like McCawleys, The Tavern and the more upmarket Terrace – all catering
for both the Chinese and the large expat community living in this area.
Central
to Sea World is The Minghua, originally an ocean going liner, built by
the French in 1962. It’s been remodelled into a hotel, with a large
outdoor bar area and restaurants. Each evening at 7.00pm and 8.00pm you
can watch a short, ten minute water fountain display, set to music with
the ship as a backdrop. There’s an additional display at 9.00pm on the
weekends. It’s a bustling area in the evenings with occasional live
music. However, other than food, drink and promenading there isn’t much
else to do here.
There’s a lot of development underway and a new
luxury shopping mall, an arts centre and an iMax cinema are all due for
completion by 2016. You can stroll along the seafront facing Hong Kong
and there’s access to the newly constructed Hilton Hotel.
If your budget is limited, there are a number of smaller Chinese hotels
close by. I particularly like No. 6 Crystal Garden – a lovely boutique
hotel on a quiet back street between Shekou Port and Sea World.
Getting there
Metro: Shekou Line 2 (Orange) to Sea World – Exit A directly into Sea World Plaza. Nanhai E-Cool
2. Nanhai E-Cool
Just
a short walk along XingHua Road from Sea World, you’ll find Nanhai
E-Cool. This is the old Sanyo factory that has been redeveloped into
more than 100 small creative enterprises.
If coffee is your thing
then you won’t be disappointed. There are lots of small cafes serving
excellent coffee, cakes and snacks. It’s a great place to lunch, away
from the larger western chains in neighbouring Sea World. You’ll also
find restaurants, wine bars, design shops, clothes and the occasional
creative art installation. It’s beautifully shady too on a hot day as
the small streets are lined with leafy trees.
If you enjoy street
walking, you’ll have a more authentic experience if you venture just a
little further west, past Nanhai E Cool continuing along Xinghua Road,
and into Haicheng Street. You’ll find yourself very suddenly in the
thriving Chinese community at Shuiwan. There are many small Chinese
stores and restaurants serving good seafood, hotpot and Beijing duck. At
night this area comes alive with street sellers and you’ll find good
street food if you want a cheap “on the go” bite to eat. You can access
this area from either Sea World or Shuiwan metro stations.
In my
experience, you can wander quite safely here and explore the shops
selling cheap trainers, t-shirts and bags. In Shangle Street which runs
parallel to Haicheng Street, you can haggle in the small shops and get
some good deals. There are also a few smaller Chinese supermarkets if
you need to stock up on supplies.
Getting there:
Metro: Shekou Line 2 (Orange) to Sea World Exit A – follow directions for walking above.
Walking from Sea World Entrance – walk east along Xinghua Road, past Starbucks on the corner and turn left by Baking Workers. Tian Hou temple grounds
3. Tien Hou Temple, Chiwan
Built
originally in the Song Dynasty, the Tien Hou Temple has been destroyed
and rebuilt several times. But by Shenzhen standards it appears old and
is constructed in a traditional style. It’s not far from Sea World and
you can take a taxi, metro or bus.
The temple is still in use and
some of the buildings are being renovated to provide a small museum of
the temple’s history. For a 15 Yuan entrance fee, you can walk wherever
you want, climb three levels of buildings, explore the Drum Tower, take
photographs and enjoy the pungent smell of incense. The temple is
beautifully decorated, although a little worn at the edges, but it feels
authentic and un-touristy.
There’s an incense burning area in
front of a central hall where Tian Hou, goddess of the sea, dominates
the lesser god of wealth, Caishen and the bodhisattva of compassion,
Guanyin.
Metro – Shekou Line 2 (Orange) to Chiwan Exit C. Turn right – walk approx 10 minutes along the road.
Bus – M371 or 226 from outside Sea World Metro Exit C. Stops directly outside the temple. Nanshan Mountain
4. Nanshan Mountain
Stand
in the entrance to Sea World and look inland – you’ll see the lush
green hills that make up Nanshan Mountain. This is a challenging hike,
either up and down or on a circular walk. I say challenging, if you
aren’t super fit, because it comprises over 700 neatly concreted steps
to the top, generating far more of a burn on the calf muscles than a
natural climb. Allow 1 to 1.5 hours for the up and down hike, or twice
as long if you take the circular route. Look out for the map of the area
on the left as you approach the entrance.
There’s no entry charge
and the mountain is open from 6.00am – 9.00pm every day, although we’ve
never seen it gated outside these hours. There are usually food sellers
with fruit and water both on the way to the entrance and at the top of
the mountain. There are also squat toilets at the top, but remember to
take your own toilet paper!
On the way to the mountain you’ll pass
the International Conference Centre on the left. In the basement of
this building is a bowling alley with ping-pong tables. All equipment
can be hired. It’s open between 3.00 and 10.30pm.
Getting there:
By
Metro: Shekou Line 2 (Orange) to Sea World Exit D. Turn right out of
metro and walk to Minghua Road. Turn right into Minghua Road and walk
ahead to NanHai Blvd. Cross the road and turn left, then immediately
right into Yanshan Road. You’ll pass a 7/11 store – cross to other side
of road, continue past the Convention Centre until the road branches 3
ways. Yanshan Road continues left – follow this shaded road to the start
of the walks. There are two routes up – look out for wooden signage on
the way to the entrance that have maps detailing your options.
By Bus: To Haiyang Building (Haiyang Dasha)
From
the West, alight from bus and turn right to corner of Minghua Road.
Follow instructions above for Metro. From East, alight from bus and turn
left until you reach Yanshan Road. Turn right, follow instructions
above. Window of the World
5. Window of the World
Window
of the World is a large theme park (tacky alert!) providing the chance
to stroll around miniature replicas of 130 of some of the most famous
sights in the world. All of the continents are represented and you can
visit the Sydney Opera House, The Palace of Versailles, Mount Rushmore
and even journey by raft through the Grand Canyon.
The park
provides plenty of interest if you have kids, although those “well
travelled” might find this a little less exciting than the real thing!
As well as the monuments, there’s a cable car, an indoor ski slope and
an archery field. Night time entertainment and firework displays take
place at the weekends.
Tickets (2015 Prices): Adults 160 Yuan,
Children over 1.2m 80 Yuan. Children under 1.2m and seniors over 70 can
enter free of charge. Evening performances are extra.
Opening hours: 9.00am to 22.30pm
Getting there:
Metro: Take Shekou Line 2 (Orange) to Window of the World station. Take exit J and the ticket office is directly ahead of you.
6. Happy Valley
Next
to Window of the World you will find the Happy Valley Theme Park. This
park is divided into nine themed areas such as Cartoon City and Gold
Mine Town. There’s also a water park that is open in the afternoons
between May and October.
The park covers a large area (85 acres)
so be prepared for lots of walking. Unfortunately it seems that some of
the rides are closed more often than they are open, and the lines are
quite lengthy. This may be because people don’t always realise that the
ride opening times are staggered. That said there are a lot of options
here so if you enjoy thrill rides and the theme park atmosphere then
you’ll probably have a great day.
Check out Travel China’s page
here for all the directions, current admission prices, general opening
hours and ride opening times. China Travel – Happy Valley
Getting there
Metro:
Take LuoBao Line 1 (Green) to Window of the World station. Take Exit A
and walk left to Qiacheng West Street, turn left and walk until you
reach the entrance to Happy Valley.
7. Splendid China Folk Village
There
are two sections to this park. Splendid China is made up of China’s
most important historical sites in miniature (a common theme among
Shenzhen’s theme parks). They’ve also replicated some of the more scenic
sites. It provides a pleasant walk through the park, but if you’ve
visited Window of the World, you might find yourself overdosing on
miniatures!
China Folk Culture Village provides more of interest.
You can walk through 26 miniature villages and the 56 ethnic groups that
make up China’s heritage. There are live performances, craft
exhibitions and also gala parties at popular times of the year. You’ll
learn a lot about the different cultures that exist within China and it
provides a more educational day out if you have children. Ticket price
is 150 Yuan.
Getting there:
Metro: Take LuoBao Line 1
(Green) to OCT station. Take Exit D turn right along Shennan Avenue
until you reach Splendid China on this side of the road. Coffee in Gee Rosters, OCT Loft
8. OCT Loft & O-CAT (Contemporary Art Terminal)
OCT Loft
is located in the old eastern industry park and is a much larger
version of Nanhei E-Cool. The International Youth Hostel is located
here, as well as many trendy design shops, galleries, cafes and
restaurants.
For a great “cold drip” coffee experience, try GEE
Coffee Roasters – they also have art exhibitions at the back of the
cafe. La Patisserie is in the northern sector of the Loft area, and
provides a beautiful shaded garden for lunch or snacks, transporting you
far beyond the city to a peaceful calm oasis.
Check out OCAT,
a converted 2-storey warehouse with a large art space used for
temporary exhibitions and thematic art installations. Entry is free but
it is closed on Mondays. Wall art at OCT Loft
OCT
Loft area is a cool creative space where you can hang out for a
morning, afternoon, or even longer if you visit the monthly creative
market. This venue is held on the first and third weekends of each month
and if you have an interest in art and design you will thoroughly enjoy
your time here! It’s one of my favourite places.
Getting there:
Metro:
Take LuoBao Line 1 (Green) to Qiaocheng East – Exit A. Turn right and
walk along Shennan Avenue to Enping Street. There’s a large petrol
station on the corner. Walk along Enping Street for 5 minutes until you
reach Jingxiu North Street. OCT Loft is straight ahead of you.
9. HeXiangning Art Gallery
This
gallery is named after He Xiangning (1878-1972), a painter and social
activist and it displays a permanent collection of his work. It is also a
major influence in the support of the contemporary art scene in China.
Unfortunately it is now closed for renovations until 2016, but when it
reopens I would definitely recommend a visit. Situated between Window of
the World and Splendid China Folk Village, it provides a welcome
reprieve from theme parks! Check the website for reopening times.
Getting there:
Metro: Take LuoBao Line 1 (Green) to OCT Station – Exit A.
By bus to HeXiangning Art Gallery Bus Station
Futian District
Futian
is the administrative, business and financial centre of Shenzhen’s
Special Economic Zone. It connects to Hong Kong via the Huanggang and
Futian border crossings.
This is a busy commercial district and a
shoppers paradise, so be prepared for more crowded streets. But it’s
here amongst many of the city’s five star hotels, that you’ll find the
Exhibition Centre, The Civic Centre, Shenzhen Museum, the Central Book
Mall, Library, Concert Hall and Guan Shanyue Art Gallery. You’ll also
find green spaces, mangroves and popular Coco Park which combines up
market shopping with eating and drinking in some of the city’s trendiest
bars and restaurants.
10. Huaqiangbei District
This is a
much frequented area of Futian as it houses the largest electronics
market in China. From the smallest technological component to computers,
cameras, mobile phones, drones and techno gadgets – you’ll find themm
all here. Some will be genuine, many will not. I haven’t yet been able
to find a computer that displays in English – and the validity of Apple
products depends on whether they have been smuggled across the border
from Hong Kong. I did, however, buy a Canon camera that seems to be the
genuine article!
The three most popular markets are SEG
Electronics, Huaqiang Electronics and Cyber. There are hundreds of shops
and booths, spread across many floors and buildings. I find it useful
to memorise some landmarks – these places are like rabbit warrens and
once in, it’s sometimes tricky to find your way back to your original
entrance.
Shop wisely and use your common sense here. If it’s too
good to be true as they say, it probably is! And if it’s a camera or
more expensive item, make sure you see it in its original unopened box
before handing over your money. They will sometimes try and palm you off
with an unpackaged demo product.
Getting there:
Metro – Luobao Line 1 (Green) to Huanqian Road Exit A or Shekou Line 2 (Orange) to Huaqian North.
11. Shenzhen Museum, Fuzhong 3rd Road
No
city trip should be without a visit to a free museum! Shenzhen Museum
was opened in 1988 and it contains a mix of historical heirlooms,
cultural relics and archaeological finds. There are a number of
permanent exhibitions showing the history of China and Shenzhen, and a
popular children’s room with interactive games. You can easily spend a
couple of hours here exploring and as an extension to your visit you
could walk to nearby Lianhuashan Park.
Opening hours are 10:00 to 18:00 but it’s closed on Mondays. The Shenzhen Museum Website is available in English so you can check out temporary exhibitions and directions.
Getting there:
Metro: Longhua Line 4 (Red) to Civic Centre Station.
12. Mangrove Seashore Ecology Park
This
is China’s smallest national park facing Hong Kong’s Mai Po Marshes – a
bird watchers paradise. Throughout the year around 200 different birds
migrate to Mai Po and also to the Shenzhen mangroves, some from Siberia.
You’ll enjoy this relaxing green area if you’re a nature enthusiast,
but it’s a beautiful park in its own right.
There’s access to the
Shenzhen Bay area and you can enjoy shaded walks, cycling (there’s talk
of bikes for hire but I haven’t seen them yet), or you can just sit and
enjoy the views across to Hong Kong. It’s a popular place for Shenzhen
families to relax at the weekends.
Getting there:
Taxi is probably easiest as there isn’t a metro close by. Alternatively catch a bus to Mangrove Forest Bus Station.
13. Coco Park
If
your trip to Shenzhen is for shopping, wining, dining and
entertainment, then Coco Park is a good choice. In a modern mall, over
five floors, you’ll find more than 200 Chinese and international brands,
although if you’re travelling from Hong Kong, you’ll experience higher
prices. You can eat Chinese and western style foods in a wide range of
restaurants and bars. Coco Park really comes alive at night, when the
central plaza heaves with both westerners and Chinese. There’s also a
cinema if you want to catch up on a movie.
If you like things a
little more sophisticated then it’s likely you’ll find something to suit
you at Coco Park. Just don’t leave your credit card at home!
Getting there:
Metro: Luobao Line 1 (Green) or Longhua Line 3 (Blue) to Shopping Park Station.
Luohu District
Luohu
was one of the first areas of Shenzhen to be developed and the streets
feel more typically Chinese, reminiscent of some parts of Beijing. It’s a
thriving commercial zone more densely populated by shopping malls than
other district in Shenzhen. You’ll find MIXc, KK Mall, King Glory Plaza
and popular Dongmen Commericial Street. If you’re shopping for gold or
pearl jewellery, then Suibei and King Living International Jewellery
Exchange Centres should be high on your itinerary.
Accessibility
is a little more difficult but there is a new metro (line 8) which
should be completed by 2016 – making this more scenic area much easier
to travel to.
14. Wutong Shan Mountain Area
Opened in 1989
Wutong Mountain overlooks the coast and is a natural area for hiking.
If you’re heading to Dameisha Beach or the Dapeng Penninsula, this would
be a good overnight stopping point along the way. It’s a popular hiking
spot for Shenzhen citizens and has some outstanding views from the top.
At 943m it’s the highest accessible point along this stretch of
Shenzhen’s coastline.
You’ll never be able to compare Shenzhen’s
hiking with the wilderness areas of Europe or the USA, but on a clear
day this does provide a welcome respite from the city. There are rivers,
waterfalls and forests as well as some protected wildlife, such as
boas, kites and pangolins.
There’s an easy paved route or you can take a more nature route to the top. Check out this guide for more information: Every Trail – Wutong Mountain
Depending
on the route and your fitness levels you should allow 3-4 hours to get
to the top, and 2 hours to get back down. You don’t usually need to
carry much, as at weekends and busier times of the year you’ll find food
and beverages for sale along the way.
To make the most of this
trip, you can stay overnight in Wutongshan Village where you’ll find
inexpensive guesthouses and a laid back atmosphere. There are a few
shops, and some nice restaurants with river views.
Getting there
Metro
& Bus: Metro: Luobao Line 1 (Green) to Luohu Station, then pick up
the 211 bus which will take you to the bus terminus at Wutongshan
Village. Dameisha Beach angel sculptures
15. Dameisha & Xiaomeisha Beaches
Dameisha
is a fairly large coastal town. There’s a typical Chinese area to the
west but if you walk along the beach to the east you can exit into a
modern mall and an equally modern marina. Here you’ll find some larger
hotels, including a Sheraton resort style property. There are also many
seafood restaurants providing live fish and seafood. You can make your
choice from the small aquariums lined up outside the restaurants and
have it cooked while you sample the local TsingTao Chinese beer!
Dameisha
Beach is the first long stretch of fine sand that you will find in
Yantian District. It’s often snubbed by the local Chinese because it can
be incredibly busy on summer weekends and at festival times. If you
avoid these times and visit during the week, it isn’t so bad. This is a
free beach and there are a number of activities such as diving,
paragliding and we even saw jetskis for hire.
Read about my day out in Dameisha here: A day out at Dameisha Beach
Smaller
and less busy Xiaomeisha Beach is a little further along the coast and
you will need to pay an entrance fee of 30 Yuan. There’s a hiking/biking
trail between the two beaches or you can catch a local bus or get a
taxi. This is a popular camping spot and throughout the summer weekends
you’ll see many tents (rent or take your own) pitched up, literally side
by side, on the sand. You can also visit Xiaomeisha Ocean World, a huge
aquarium that is popular with families.
Getting there
Dameisha – Buses: J1, N21, M207.
You could get the metro to LuoHu Train Station and catch the train to Dameisha which takes around 40 minutes. OCT East Tea Valley
16. OCT East Park
OCT East
is set on the mountain side behind Dameisha town you can easily spend a
day wandering around this large scenic theme park. There are six resort
hotels, the Dahuaxing Buddhist Temple, two 18-hole golf courses (one
for members only), a hot springs spa, a water park, themed rides and a
beautiful tea plantation, which for me is one of the highlights. This is
a huge country park that is nicely landscaped and away from the
bustling city that offers a variety of activities for all the family.
Open daily 09:30 to 17:30 – there are a variety of ticket prices depending on what your stay involves – they start at 160 Yuan.
Getting there:
Taxis from Futian will cost around 100 Yuan each way or bus 239, J1 or Airport No 6 to OCT East Bus Station.
Longgang District
Longgang
is located in the North East of the city and as well as the city’s main
reservoir, the Qinglingjing Forest Park and the Longgang Public Golf
Course, you will also find two of the best preserved Hakka “enclosed
residences” in Shenzhen – Hehu Zinju and Maosheng Shiju. Dafen oil painting village
17. Dafen Oil Painting Village
Dafen
Village is one of Shenzhen’s top attractions, and one of the first
suggested to me when I arrived to live in the city. It’s the largest
producer of oil paintings in the world and home to thousands of artists
who paint and sell cheap copies of famous western art pieces. You can
take a picture of any piece of art and you will find any number of
artists who will transfer it skilfully and inexpensively onto a canvas
in whatever size and style you desire.
Dafen is just a short
stroll from the main road. It’s impossible to miss as you will quickly
encounter a mass of oil paintings hanging floor to ceiling in every shop
throughout the alleyways that make up the village. You won’t be
overwhelmed by people – instead it is a very pleasant area to wander
leisurely whilst browsing. You can bargain for your art, but if you’re
not looking for a Mona Lisa replica, you’ll also find modern galleries,
calligraphy, sculptures, handicrafts and lots of small boutique cafes to
make this a worthwhile visit.
Getting there:
Metro:
Longgang Line (blue) to Dafen Metro Station, Exit A1. Walk straight
ahead for 5-10 minutes until you reach Walmart. Then follow the crowds
to the entrance gate!
By bus to Dafen Village Bus Station.
Pingshan District
Pingshan
is the major industrial area in the east of Shenzhen city. Still
inhabited by many Hakka people, you can learn much about their culture
and folk traditions by visiting the enclosed villages in this district.
With 156 basketball courts, it is also known locally as the “town of
basketball”. The Pinghan River runs through the district and its
geographic environment has seen the formation of a number of ecological
parks such as Jingui (where you can walk the ancient trade path),
Julonghshan, Yanzilinng and Biling.
18. Hakka Villages
There
are around twenty or so Hakka walled villages remaining in Shenzhen,
and three are available to visit in Pingshan – each worth a visit if you
enjoy historical buildings:
a) Longtian Shiju;
b) Dawen Shiju;
c) Fengtian Shiju.
Longtian Shiju is the best preserved Hakka
village in Pingshan. Built in the Qing Dynasty, it’s surrounded on three
sides by water and on the fourth by a high wall enclosure, making its
style a little different to other Hakka villages.
Getting there:
Longtian
Shiju by bus to Kengzhi Market Station. Dawen Shiju can be accessed via
bus to BYD Maintenance Centre Bus Station, and Fentian Shiju by bus to
Lexing Furniture Square Bus Station.
Longhua District
This
is one of the newest districts in Shenzhen and it’s the main hub for
the high-speed railway connecting the city with Southern China and
beyond. The now highly rated Mission Hills Golf Club is located here but
the main attraction is Guanian Ancient Town.
19. Guanian Ancient Town
I
haven’t yet visited this area but it’s high on my list. The Shenzhen
Travel Guide indicates that Guanian Old Street comprises dozens of lanes
that provide a living museum of Hakka history. This was originally the
transfer station between China and foreign countries and was known as
the “The Little Hong Kong”. Now there are fifteen remaining watch
towers, as well as folk dwellings and shops.
Getting there:
Guanlan Ancient Town, Xinlan Community: By bus to Guanlan Central Primary School.
Quanlan Watchtower: By bus to Zhangkengjing Shangwei.
Guanlan Guihutang Old Walled Village: By bus to Gangtou Village Bus Station. Dapeng Coastline
Dapeng Penninsula
Dapeng
New District is to the southeast of Shenzhen, surrounded by sea on
three sides and facing Hong Kong’s New Territories. It’s mountainous,
forested and is trying to reinvent itself as an “ecological tourism
resort”.
It’s a stunning coastal area and a proper escape from the city, although difficult to access by public transport.
It’s
well worth a visit, and if you have time, stay a few days in
Jiaochangwei Village to really explore the coastal landscape. In Dapeng
you will also find Xichong Beach, claimed to be one of the eight most
beautiful beaches in China!
Keep an eye out for my guide to visiting the Dapeng Penninsula in the coming months!
20. Dapeng Fortress
Dapeng
Fortress was built in 1394 to defend the mainland from Japanese pirates
and later in the 19th century to ward off the British in the Opium
Wars. It’s well preserved and work is underway to restore it further.
Take
a wander around the streets, where amazingly you will that find people
still live. Along the main street you will find street sellers with
jellies of all kinds, but to really experience the history of this
fortress, take time to walk off into the many lanes away from the main
through road.
Close by is Jiaochangwei Village which was formally
home to the local fishermen and farmers. The buildings have now mostly
been transformed into trendy boutique guest houses. Many are owned by
young affluent Chinese who have a love of culture and art. There are
plenty of restaurants in the area to choose from as well.
The more
popular guest houses tend to get booked quickly at weekends, but you’ll
find rooms available on quieter week days. Some of these properties
have started to appear on popular hotel booking sites.
Getting there:
A
taxi or private driver is probably the easiest way to get here from
Shenzhen, although you’ll find some taxi drivers obviously reluctant to
travel this far out of town. You can take bus M362 from Zhu Zi Lin bus
station in Futian and get off at the very last stop. From here you can
either take a 10 min taxi to Dapeng Fort or take the 928 from Dapeng bus
station. The E11 will also take you back to the city from here.
Conclusion
Hopefully
this article gives you some inspiration for experiencing Shenzhen
beyond shopping and cafes. Please check buses as these can change from
time to time, and if you have any questions I’d be happy to answer you.
