Shenzhen is located in the very south of Guangdong Province. Overlooking Hong Kong to the south and bordering Kowloon, this area is commonly referred to as Hong Kong's "backyard". So it is convenient to have a day trip from Hong Kong to Shenzhen.

The city is actually divided into three parts, the Special Economic Zone (SEZ), Shenzhen City and Shenzhen County.

Shenzhen Economic Zone was established in 1980. It is the largest economic special zone apart from Hainan Province. Shenzhen is a city of immigrants. Most of the population come from other cities in China.

The new city is neat and beautiful all around the year. The local government had developed many tourist attractions integrating natural beauty with man-made architecture. The highlight of Shenzhen's tourism is the man-made scenic spots. The excellent theme parks are hot spots for tourists around the world.

Climate

The climate in Shenzhen is fairly similar to that of Hong Kong and temperatures here can be almost subtropical with intense summer heat and lots of rain!

The summers here are exceptionally long, running for about six months and temperatures can reach 35 degrees C. The winters in this city are much more bearable however, and temperatures rarely drop below 10 degrees C. August and September are the best seasons to visit when the temperature is pleasant and the days are long. Shenzhen has abundant rainfall particularly during May to September so make sure you bring your umbrella!

Special Economic Zone

Geographically speaking, Shenzhen is a 'buffer zone' between socialism and capitalism in China. This was one of the first Chinese cities to open its doors to the West in 1980 and is a model of what can be achieved with massive amounts of capital in a short space of time. It seems hard to imagine it now, but Shenzhen in 1979 was a small and undeveloped town. In 1980, the government awarded the area the status of Special Economic Zone and millions of pounds was invested in the city. A stock market was established and office blocks and factories shot up at an unbelievable rate. Today, the city is vibrant but somehow lacks soul.

Shenzhen has its own unique political, economic and cultural norms and customs that differ from the rest of China. The Shenzhen municipal government exercises a relatively self-governed legislation and the incentives for investors are high. Although the organizational structure is consistent with national style, operation practice and management are different. In line with the basic laws of China, Shenzhen enjoys the autonomy of handling its own foreign affairs, public security, personnel, financial, industrial and commercial issues.

Without the burden of history, the theory is that Shenzhen will be able to seize the day and the future too. In practice, what Shenzhen has done for China is to encourage Chinese people elsewhere to consider the advantages and downsides of capitalism at work in their country.