Shenzhen — China’s Silicon Valley
Shenzhen is the posterboy of China’s economic growth, which is nothing short of a miracle. The city lies to the north of Hong Kong in the Pearl River Delta. Shenzhen’s tallest mountain, the Wutong Mountain, soars above the city at a respectable 943.7 meters (3,096 feet). In 1980, Shenzhen’s population was 60000. That year, Shenzhen was designated a Free Economic Zone by China. Its population grew exponentially over the next 35 years, built on the bedrock of a large migrant workforce. Now a shining example of China’s tech prowess and with a population of over 12 million, the city is part of one of the densest urban agglomerations in the world, with a population of 120 million. Even for someone who’s lived in various cities across the world, it comes to be their favorite and grows on them with time. It also goes by the appellation “China’s Silicon Valley,” with its high rate of economic development and culture that values innovation.
So what’s it like living in Shenzhen, China’s most modern city, and what are its main tourist attractions? After alighting and exiting Futian’s subway station, you enter the beating heart of Futian CBD. This boulevard is called One Avenue, a long roadway connecting four shopping malls and numerous eateries. This is what it feels like to be chilled out. Then, it hits you, the Ping An international finance center, the tallest building in Shenzhen and the fifth tallest in the world. Technology hardware has made Shenzhen a force to be reckoned with. If Silicon Valley imagines or invents it, then Shenzhen is where it’s brought to reality. Then, there is Huaqiangbei market, the world’s largest electronics market. The market meanders, goes on and on across buildings and floors. You could lay your hands on the most rad, hippest and latest gadgets, with many fakes of the Real McCoy as well.
Shang Palace restaurant in the Shangri-La Hotel has your back if you crave that fine dining experience, with their delectable Dim Sum lunch, true blue Cantonese cuisine and even Chinese Hot Pot.
The global Robomaster competition keeps Shenzhen at top-of-the-mind recall. The subway station feels as though it’s an airport or a train station!! In case of QR code-related matters, troubleshoot with an AI robot. The vivid colors and the otherworldly vibes make the Upper Hills shopping mall reminiscent of European towns. At lunchtime, line up for a table at the neighborhood eatery.
Metro Line 11, the fastest subway line in Shenzhen, is special. Visit bookstore Junga, made famous on Instagram. Enjoy a ride on The Bay Glory, an observation wheel, a la London Eye, in Shenzhen’s Bao’an District. Run into this very interesting modern art installation. Enjoy the small talk and chatting by the window that a coffee shop accords.
Shenzhen is the gold standard in commuter convenience in that for accessing, renting and riding bikes, you just need We Chat with which to scan the QR code on the bicycle. Cycle along Shenzhen Bay Park, a long tract of lanes beside the ocean. Young people in Shenzhen usually go to have drinks or just hang around after a busy workday at Futian 10 CBD.
Author Name
Sarang Chari
