Counting for my short life living & growing with the “city of the eagle”, I guess I’m in a good position to say Shenzhen is indeed the “US within China”.
Last month when we accompanied my friend’s french teacher for her last city walk around ShiminZhongxin at night before her leaving to Paris- she watched us in the light and said “wow you guys did all of these within 40 years? you experienced what we experienced in 300 years in 40!”
Indeed, Shenzhen condensed my life in many ways before I even realized it. The materialistic side of me, the innovated side of me and the openness born with me. I left home around 18 and came back around 28 and during these 10 years living elsewhere- each few months I came back home- the shops around us are different. It’s hard to find familiarity here- everything is changing rapidly- maybe only in Luohu- only place I can find a little bit of historical feelings. People called nowadays “juan 卷” for these type of accelerated competitions but “juanability” already a DNA encrypted in me. You will easily overtaken by someone else if not working smarter/harder.
The city is a smaller version of “broad China”- during my childhood and teenage years, my best friends’ families are all from different provinces- Hubei, Shandong, Hunan, Sichuan, Chaoshan, Taishan, Zhejiang, Dongbei… you name it. Their parents are all either talents or entrepreneurs coming to the cities post 1980s trying to make their names as executives or a living as a merchants in city newly formed and well-influenced by Hong Kong next doors.
It’s also a smaller version of “US”- my mum always says how different it is when she’s making friends here- people would not ask about your family, your social circles back home- you’re much lighter and small-family-focused living in a immigrant city rather than where everyone knows everyone. It’s also the only one place within China that has the best quality of private-owned enterprises density – even nowadays private-owned + technology-driven companies mostly.
40 years of miracles doesn’t mean we will sustain it- here are a few downsides of Shenzhen that I dislike and I hope it can be solved in the next couple of years:
-Crowded and Unable to properly walked among the crazy scooters powered by the delivery platforms:
This is really destroying people’s good impressions coming out from the airport when they landed here- I know it’s a common problems for all China cities but you need to figure out how to solve this problem and balancing the speed of population growth and walkability.. Otherwise people will leave to those where they can actually walk.
-Shortsighted small/private enterprises and fundamental STEM education weakness
We courage competitions but not “996” or “useless competitions” culture- with the AI advancements, people here should be more relaxed- or more in a quality way of competition. Good jobs with the “reading campaigns” yearly but please give more attentions to those who are merely surviving in the cities also continue education strengthening math/physics and other STEM-focused materials.
-Be more international friendly and foster greater hub for international talents to move here and stay
Compared to Shanghai and Hong Kong, you did a poor job marketing yourself as international-friendly city. With the growing populations of international expats, focus more what you can do to improve the daily life of these people who chose to stay.. You should do a better job telling Shenzhen’s individual stories instead of stupid lighting shows which are copied everywhere in China already..
To another great decade ahead.
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