Special Economic Zone (China SEZ)
From mid 2008 to the end of 2010 I lived in Shenzhen before moving to Hong Kong at the beginning of 2011. Now that I’ve spent almost two years in both places respectively I thought it was about time to reflect on the differences in lifestyle between these two mega cities in the hope that it might be useful for anyone considering a similar move (in either direction). Read more
Living inside one of China’s behemoth cities is a humbling experience, such is the enormity of their size and the human endeavours taking place there. The timelapse video above by zweizwei brings back fond memories of my time spent in mainland China and captures everyday life in Shenzhen, Guangzhou, and Shanghai extremely well – sunshine and smog included. Despite the endless sea of people streaming in from all over the country for the opportunities they provide, these cities can be strangely impersonal and isolating…
If you’ve not already seem it, 007’s latest outing in Skyfall features some spectacular shots of Shanghai at night also.
Under the principle of “one country, two systems”, Hong Kong is defined as a Special Administrative Region (SAR) of China. It borders the neighbouring city of Shenzhen immediately to the north (where I lived for two years previously) which is physically divided from Hong Kong along the Sham Chun and Sha Tau Kok rivers. I recently visited the border town of Sha Tau Kok (沙頭角) on the Hong Kong side… Read more
Shenzhen is one of the most modern cities in China, having rapidly developed over the past 30 years since its inception as a special economic zone. Walking around its streets there is little to see in the way of history or culture but scratch beneath the surface and there are a few intriguing glimpses of the past to be found. Read more
The last few weeks have been pure madness. After Christmas my plan was to return to Shenzhen from the UK, finish my job, say goodbye to people, pack up my apartment, and then move across to Hong Kong. In the end I only spent 4 days in China before unexpectedly being summoned back to London after some complications with work permits arose. Read more
Shenzhen is generally regarded as the epicenter of the world’s electronics industry with most of the worlds major brands manufacturing their products here. You can find virtually anything you want in the many electronic markets which can be found around the city, most of which are clustered around Hua Cheng Be (Hua Qiang Lu Metro Station, exit A).
As 2011 begins the time for reflection and change is upon us again. 2010 was a bit of a mixed bag with plenty of highs and lows along the way. Most of the highs were travel related, the pinnacle being a trip to Japan, but also adventures in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, and a return to South Korea. Another highlight was having the chance to present some of my photos to an audience and being interviewed. The lows are not worth revisiting but sufficed to say it’s hard to believe the year passed so quickly. Read more
Last weekend Shenzhen opened its first Fringe festival centered around Coastal City in Nanshan (where I live) loosely based on the original from Edinburgh. Two weeks of events are planned and proceedings kicked off with a colourful parade with various community groups taking part along Shenzhen Bay Avenue. Read more
It’s been a while since I wrote anything about life in Shenzhen so I thought I’d provide a quick update of what’s been going on the past few weeks. One of the most notable experiences was when an earthquake measuring 2.8 on the Richter scale hit Shenzhen on Friday 19th Nov at 2:42 pm (Beijing time). Read more
For the last few weeks in Shenzhen we’ve been experiencing bouts of torrential rain almost daily and when you add to this the occasional typhoon then you’re in for a fun ride. As an Englishman I’m not usually caught without an umbrella but on the odd occasion I do forget there’s not much to do but find shelter. Read more